Star Light Adventure: Color in the Black and White
by GardenOfSnow
Summary: Barbie and Constantine explore their feelings for each other. Constarlight, Drama&Romance, and I'm trying to keep everyone as in-character as possible. Rated T for occasional mushiness.:3
1. Invitation

**Author's note:** Dedicated to Zaphrite, whose video ("Spell") got me addicted to the movie and the ship!:)

* * *

 **Chapter one – The Invitation**

"So, what are you going to do now?"

It had been a year since the stars began to shine again. A hectic year that Barbie (now called Starlight by pretty much everybody) spent traveling with her friends, hoverboarding over most whimsical landscapes and meeting new people. She still couldn't get used to the fact that now she was even more popular than Sal-Lee – more often than not she preferred the company of wild animals to cheering crowds.

At the moment, she was sitting next to Sal-Lee on the hovering platform of her Para-Den home, her feet dangling over the lush green abyss.

"I don't know," shrugged Starlight. "Dad asks me if I'm going to compete at the Intergalactic Championship this year."

"Aren't you?" Sal-Lee raised a brow.

"Well, for a girl like me it's a dream come true to compete at your level…" Her voice was doubtful. "But I'm not sure it's _my_ dream. I'd rather do something else."

"Like what?" Sal-Lee raised her second brow. "Tending to animals on some distant preserve that is not at all different from this one? It was fun hanging with you here for two weeks, but if I had to spend more, I'd sprout roots and turn into a tree." Sal-Lee lay back with her hands behind her head. "A very bored and boring tree."

Starlight was about to say something when she caught a glimpse of something gray above the trees.

"Hey, look!" she pointed at the sky. "A messenger!"

A droid approached the platform and landed softly next to where they were. Starlight jumped up to receive the message.

"You'll never guess!" she cried as she turned back to her friend, who was now propped on her elbow to see what was going on.

"Let me try," drawled Sal-Lee. "Since it's almost exactly a year since we accomplished that trifle task of saving the galaxy, the message might have to do something with it."

"Yes! The five of us are invited for the Great Anniversary Gala! It says it's going to be a really big event!"

Sal-Lee pouted mockingly, "Bigger than last year?"

Starlight suddenly felt nervous. "I suppose so… Last year there were mostly Oppa-Irri residents to meet us, and this time it's going to be full of…" she checked with the message, "most honorable guests from the whole galaxy," she quoted and gulped.

Sal-Lee laughed mirthlessly, "Leo's parents I suppose? I'll never forget the way they looked at me when we were visiting their palace. As if I ended up there by taking the wrong door. Ugh!" She sat up, irritated. "Sheena and Kareena were treated the same way, but _they_ were too good-hearted to take notice."

"Wonder why I wasn't looked down on as well," mused Starlight settling herself next to her.

"Oh, I don't know, _Princess_ Starlight," said Sal-Lee sarcastically.

"Is the mere title all it takes for those people to respect or disrespect you?" Starlight held out a hand as a small curious bird flew up to her.

Sal-Lee sniffed. "Obviously. You're lucky that Constantine thought about protecting you with that princess title. Now you might be even good enough for them to marry Leo." She shot Starlight a sideways glance.

"Oh." Starlight stroke the bird's colorful feathers lightly and the little cheeky creature nipped at her finger. "I'm sorry, I don't have any food for you now," she said to the bird. "Come back when it's feeding time." The bird gave an offended squeak and took wing.

Starlight cleared her throat. "Well, I wish Constantine awarded the title to all four of us."

Sal-Lee chuckled and relaxed. "You are his favorite."

"You think so? From the very beginning I thought he hated me. And frankly, it only changed slightly after our success at the Central Planet."

She recalled the time she had spent at his castle. She had only been there for about two weeks before her desire to see other worlds swept her away. The castle was enchanting but empty of life, like the shell of a snail that had died. Even after she was allowed to run through the halls and follow her own timetable, she still didn't feel at ease there. Whenever she met Constantine she felt young and foolish, subdued by his tall intimidating figure. Although he was always polite and respectful, and did acknowledge her right to be different and impulsive, he still was his old authoritative and distant self. Which was a disappointment, because the night she asked him to dance he was different – after only a few awkward movements he went with the rhythm and he was brilliant at it, natural, as if the music was within him all along. They all had great fun that night, the whole team that saved the galaxy.

Sal-Lee chuckled again, "He hates you all right, but you are still his favorite."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

For the record, they do have the tern 'year' in the movie, although I'm not sure if it's an Oppa-Irrian year or some Standard Galactic Year. Let's just pretend there IS a standard galactic year.

There are two reasons why the story is set a year after the events of the movie. First, just to make sure Barbie is at least 18 in this, haha. And more to the point, I felt that any relationship with Constantine wouldn't work well right away, since she was so uncertain about staying on Oppa-Irri. One year after seemed like a perfect choice. (What I really can't understand is why Oppa-Irri is spelt without an 'a' at the end. Where is that 'ah' sound coming from, then?! Ok, I'll just stick to the official spelling, although mind you, I'd rather spell it like 'Oppa-Irria'. *sigh*)

And just have a close look at that ending scene of the movie to see Constantine dance. I'm not making this up!:))

One more thing, we are going to meet Leo's parents in this story! The only clues we had in the movie were 'boring palace dinners' mentioned by Leo, and Leo's reluctance to define himself as proper royalty ('just by birth'). Not much, but enough for us to have some fun! :D


	2. Ballroom Disasters

**Chapter 2 – Ballroom Disasters**

The Grand Ballroom wore its usual sparse plumage of flowers, the huge vases studding the perimeter.

"Looks like change isn't welcome in this place," commented Sal-Lee as she and Starlight entered the ballroom, only slightly later than was expected of them. Most guests had already arrived and were chatting and enjoying refreshments. The king's throne dominated the room, unoccupied.

"Tell me about it," sighed Starlight, careful not to raise her voice.

She had barely said this when the crowd noticed their arrival and erupted with applause and cheering.

"I feel like a rock star," said Starlight, waving back with a timid smile.

"Thought you'd get used to it by now," laughed Sal-Lee and promptly blew a bubble with her pink chewing gum. "I think I see Leo and the twins by the table over there, c'mon."

She wended her way through the ballroom, Starlight keeping pace by her side. They weren't even halfway through when Starlight saw the king himself approaching. She slowed down, so did Sal-Lee.

"Remarkably, you two are not exactly late today," said Constantine with a thin formal smile on his lips. "Though you do have some room for improvement."

Starlight smiled back and curtseyed. "King Constantine. We are happy to see you again."

For a very short moment she could see a sparkle of warmth in his eyes, but as soon as she'd finished speaking the spark dissolved into shadows and he looked away.

Sal-Lee bowed respectfully and raised her head at the sight of two people, a man and a woman, behind the king's back, whom he had obviously been talking to before Starlight and Sal-Lee arrived. Constantine turned around.

"May I present you…"

"There's no need, sire," the woman cut in with her polite honey-hued voice that ostensibly excused the interruption. "We've been introduced before."

She was wearing a stiff purple dress on her slender figure and tons of white powder on her face. Her chestnut hair was arranged into a towering mass of curls framed with a string of jewellery. The heavily-built man standing next to her was wearing a purple overcoat heavily decorated with gems.

"Queen Leora. King Leonard." Both Starlight and Sal-Lee bowed.

"Delighted to see you again, princess Starlight," murmured the queen with a momentary smile.

King Leonard nodded with a wider smile that painfully reminded of Leo's. "Why, a sports champion and the princess who saved the universe!" he exclaimed stepping closer and incidentally driving Constantine aside.

"Oh, not the universe," said Starlight in what she hoped was a reasonably humble voice. "Only this galaxy."

King Leonard roared with laughter. Starlight wouldn't be surprised if he turned back to Constantine to pat him on the shoulder and say something like, "That girl is funny, isn't she?" Constantine was watching the scene with a formal blank expression that couldn't prevent some disdain from sipping through.

The queen surveyed Starlight with a sharp glance and continued, "I admire your gown."

Starlight was wearing her mother's dress, its color celestial-blue this time. She loved it almost as much as her mother's locket. True, the dress didn't have any songs recorded, but it could take any color and adjust to changes in the curves of her figure. And it held a bit of her mother's warmth and life, too. She felt like the dress was a close trusted friend.

"Thank you," she said. "I think you already saw it when we visited you, it was pink back then."

The queen's thin brows shot up. "It's the same gown then? How very… unusual for a princess."

Constantine coughed. "Now if you'll excuse me, we shall proceed with the evening's schedule."

And he left without a second glance at her. Starlight looked at his back absent-mindedly. She'd hoped he would stay, despite the fact that he made her nervous most of the time. At least, he could tell them more about the program of the evening. But apparently he'd left that job to the robot host.

The queen's gaze scanned the crowd. "Oh, there is the Duchess of Parah-Mount, we must speak to her before the dinner stars, shall we, darling?" she said to her husband, although the message wasn't for him, and briefly turned to the girls. "Delighted to have met you again." And with a tiny nod she was gone, her nonchalant husband with her.

"I think I've just lost a few points," confessed Starlight.

"At least you had something to lose," shrugged Sal-Lee.

But Sal-Lee's ill humor was amended by a young man offering her a drink and his arm. With everyone but Leo's parents she was as popular as ever. It took her and Starlight some time to thread thought all the people who wanted to greet them personally.

At the hors d'oeuvre table Leo was besieged by some pretty noble girls, but he still preferred the food. Sheena and Kareena also had their fair share of admirers. That is why, distracted by so many people, the five friends were not yet their old tight squad. But Starlight was sure it was bound to change through the course of the evening, so for once she followed Leo's example and focused on the snacks.

After a while, Sal-Lee dumped her overenthusiastic devotee and walked over to her.

"Who might have thought that being fawned is equally annoying," she said, chagrined.

"I thought you'd get used to it by now," said Starlight with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh," said Sal-Lee somberly. She looked back at Leo and the twins but things hadn't changed there, and her riled gaze drifted through the crowd.

Starlight shrugged, carefully picking a canapé – she still remembered what the red ones tasted like.

"Look at Constantine over there," said Sal-Lee.

Starlight looked up. The king was standing at the other end of the row of hors d'oeuvre tables, not eating anything, not talking to anyone, just supervising his guests like a statue, waiting for something.

"It just came to my mind," said Sal-Lee thoughtfully. "I've never seen him eat anything. Have you?"

"I don't think so," said Starlight, not seeing what her friend was getting at.

Sal-Lee's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Why don't you do your trick? Let's see if he's human after all."

Starlight gave her a puzzled look and Sal-Lee's smile became wider. "Feed him, like you do it with your birds. With so much food around it should be easy. Just hover something tasty up to his nose, and see if he takes it'."

"Um, I'm not sure…" Starlight was going to say, "I'm not sure if it's a good idea" but Sal-Lee's childish excitement was contagious. What harm could come from such an innocent trick? "All right. What is it going to be? A canapé?"

Sal-Lee appraised the tiny canapés. "No, they're not even that tasty. How about a cupcake? Or an ice-cream cone? Yeah, the one with strawberry jam on top of it."

"Okay." Starlight closed her eyes, concentrated, and hummed her soft melody.

"Yep, it's going right up to him," commented Sal-Lee. "Make sure he doesn't see it yet. A bit higher. Perfect. That ice cream is delicious, he'll love it."

"Hey, why talk about food and not even touch it?" came Leo's cheerful voice and at the same moment Leo pushed himself between them, making Starlight lose concentration and grab the side of the table for balance.

"Oh no!" Starlight opened her eyes. The cone had fallen, upside down, directly onto the king's head, and now Constantine shook his head like a bewildered unicorn, trying to figure out what hit him.

"Oh yes," said Sal-Lee with a wry smile. "Though I don't think he'll eat it now. Ouch, especially not after it has fallen somewhere down his monstrous sleeve. That must be chilling." She chuckled.

"Ooh…" Starlight buried her face in her hands in shame. "We shouldn't have done it!"

Leo looked puzzled but only for a moment, "Well, if you're not going to eat those canapés, I will!"

As he helped himself to as many red canapés as his mouth would hold, Starlight and Sal-Lee watched the king snap at the droid waiter (who desperately tried to rub the strawberry jam off his hair and face) and stride out of the ballroom, presumably to wash and change.

"Don't worry, he'll survive," drawled Sal-Lee. "And we needed the fun, didn't we?"

"Well, yes…" said Starlight hesitantly. She remembered Sheena and Kareena doing something very similar to the castle's sprites last year. Back then she had laughed along with everybody, but now she wondered if it was the right thing to do.

Loud triumphant music boomed from somewhere above, and the voice of the robot host announced, "And now we present the heroes who saved the galaxy!"

Starlight felt the pull of teleportation as the world around her vanished in a white flash for a second and reappeared again. Now she was standing high above, at the top of the stairs, next to the king's empty throne. Sal-Lee, Leo and the twins were there with her.

"Prince Leo of Kumai!" announced the host.

The crowd below cheered. Leo waved his hand and beamed.

"Kareena and Sheena of Tagra!"

The twins squeaked in delight and waved with both hands.

"Sal-Lee of Upper-Plope!"

Sal-Lee waved, her back straight, a haughty smile on her lips. The crowd cheered even louder.

"Princess Starlight of Para-Den!"

Starlight gave a shy wave. This time the crowd roared and the host had to wait until it calmed down a bit.

"And…" His voice paused. "And… And it's thanks to them the stars are shining again! Let us, citizens of all planets throughout the galaxy, express our eternal gratitude for their courage, determination and wisdom!"

More cheering. Starlight shot a glance at the empty throne and tugged at Sal-Lee's arm. "Wasn't Constantine supposed to be here with us?"

Sal-Lee's violet eyes evaluated the throne. "Probably. I just assume he didn't want to be pulled up here in his underwear."

Starlight wanted to curl up and disappear. Instead she gave another wan smile and a shaky wave to the audience.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Were you expecting them to fall into each other's arms right away for no reason? Nope, things don't happen like that. Love is hard – even in an escapist fanfiction story, darn it! :P So stay tuned for some more disasters, and I daresay _conflicts,_ before these two realize they have deeper feelings for each other.

Fun fact: the word 'disaster' means 'ill-starred', destined by stars to fail. How very fitting! :P

I'm not quite sure how the whole royalty thing works in the movie, does Constantine's kingdom equal to the whole galaxy or just a few planets or what? I remember thinking he was the king of the whole galaxy, simply because he felt it was solely his responsibility to save it. But maybe his kingdom is just one of the largest/more prosperous, and there are other kingdoms as well. So Leo's parents may be king and queen of some other kingdom in the same galaxy. (Ugh, logic isn't exactly my thing…)

And the last thing, I don't imply that Starlight's mother wore the dress herself (it's hard to tell from what they say in the movie), but nevertheless the mere fact that her mother intended it as a gift means that the dress keeps some of her life and love.


	3. What You Wish For

**Chapter 3 – What You Wish For**

The dinner was served right after, separating the crowd into three long tables forming a circle. And still no gray royal figure with wing-like sleeves appeared in the ballroom.

"You aren't eating that one, are you?" asked Leo before stealing a potato from Starlight's plate.

"Did you come here for the food?" drawled Sal-Lee when he stole one from her plate as well.

"I come anywhere for the food!" answered Leo with his mouth full.

Starlight's mind wandered away from their friendly bickering and all the noise around them. Deep inside herself all she could hear was ominous silence. Something was wrong and although she couldn't understand it yet, the feeling pressed on her, forcing the air out of her lungs.

Finally, the dinner was finished and along with deserts came the robot DJ with his soothing classical music.

"Oh no!" moaned the twins. "Where's the party beat?"

Starlight new better: the DJ was just warming up, preparing the audience for the upbeat dance music. Several couples had already moved to the dance-floor when the music changed.

Sal-Lee nudged Starlight and pointed at the other end of the room. "Look, Constantine's back. I told you he was going to be fine."

The king was standing there with his hands behind his back, his face unreadable.

"My folks are probably having a heart attack already," said Leo matter-of-factly. "So why don't we all go to the floor and have some fun?"

"Agreed!" cheered the twins.

Leo offered a hand to Sal-Lee and looked at Starlight.

"Oh. No, I'm fine, I'll join you later."

Sal-Lee let go of Leo's hand, gestured him away and turned to Starlight.

"What's wrong with you?"

Starlight laid her spoon back onto the napkin. "I don't know, I feel… guilty. We shouldn't have pulled that hoax on him."

Sal-Lee shrugged. "Just ask him to dance, it'll distract him from his brooding. Seriously, it was no big deal."

Starlight shook her head, "No, Sal-Lee, I must do the right thing. I must apologize."

Sal-Lee sighed, "I suppose you're right. And if anyone is guilty, it's me. It was my idea."

Starlight shook her head again, "I could say no, but I didn't. I must do it, you go and have fun."

It was hard to put into words, but she felt something terrible might happen if she didn't apologize.

Sal-Lee nodded thoughtfully, briefly stroke Starlight's shoulder in encouragement and was gone. Starlight stood up and made her way to the other side of the room, moving behind the tables instead of crossing the dance-floor. So she came up to Constantine from his left side and for a few long seconds she could see his profile, his glassy eyes piercing the crowd, his thoughts somewhere far away from it.

"Hey", she called, too late to realize that it was not the best way to start a conversation with a king. Especially not when you're going to say sorry for messing up his clothes and practically ruining his evening.

Thankfully, the music was too loud for him to make out exactly what she'd said, but when he turned and looked at her, she could swear he was blaming her… for what? Had he seen it was her doings? Or had he guessed?

"King Constantine. Can I talk to you?" she tried again. "Somewhere quieter?"

She feared he'd wave a hand to stop the music and she would have to say what she must in front of everybody. But he motioned her to follow him as he went up to the doors of the ballroom. The doors opened just enough for the two of them to slip through.

"Well, princess?" he demanded as soon as they were in the empty hall and the doors closed behind them again. "What is it?"

"I…" She gulped and put a hand onto her mother's locket. "I wanted to apologize. I am very, very sorry." She made an effort to look him in the eye. She managed in time to see the puzzled look on his face. Despite what she'd seen earlier, he had no idea what she was talking about.

"What exactly for?" He furrowed his brow.

"You see, I was playing with Sal-Lee… And that ice-cream, it went out of control, sort of." She rubbed her arm bashfully. She couldn't make herself tell the _whole_ truth. She just hoped she was telling enough truth.

His eyes momentarily widened and he frowned. She almost could hear him say _Dismissed!_ in that arrogant imperious voice of his. This time she wasn't sure she didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry", she whispered.

Constantine squared his shoulders and coughed. "Well, it was… Most reckless and inappropriate behavior. I thought you had grown up at least enough to know how to behave yourself at a ball."

She lowered her gaze apologetically. He continued, "But I guess you're still too young to understand even such simple things."

Translated from his personal jargon it probably meant _All right, I forgive you_.

Starlight lifted up her head and smiled, "Thank you for being so understanding, sire. I assure you, it won't happen again."

Constantine pressed his lips, "I hope Artemis will be able to scrape all those strawberry seeds off my other suit."

Starlight's smile didn't falter. "So there's nothing wrong with wearing the same clothes or clothes that look the same?"

"In my kingdom it is fine. I cannot speak for others, though."

She could swear there was a ghost of a smile in his eyes. And that moment the pressing feeling of foreboding left her and she felt light and free.

"Shall we go back? Or do you have other plans for the evening?" she asked.

He shot a loathing look at the door of the ballroom. "No, I'll… I'll just walk to…" He waved a hand. "Somewhere, I don't have a plan yet. My plans for the evening are ruined, and I don't even want to think about it yet."

Starlight desperately wanted to join her friends. But she could sense that this was a rare opportunity to have a peek under Constantine's shell of formality and indifference. The opportunity she had never had before and would not, most likely, ever have again. It was a chance to find out why he was the way he was, why the last time she stayed at the castle he retreated back into his shell, making her days there unbearable, suffocating.

"Why don't we just stay here and watch the stars?" she heard herself say.

He arched his brow, his hands behind his back again. It wasn't a great surprise he didn't like the idea. His hesitation was more surprising. Perhaps he remembered his resolution to learn a few things from her.

"Yes. I suppose we could," he finally said in a blank voice and turned toward the wide window of the hall.

Starlight took a step to stand next to him. Silence filled the cavernous space of the hall.

"It's a great view," she finally said.

The king looked at her, at the window, and at her again. "I know a better one."

He pushed a button on the control panel of his sleeve and Starlight was dragged into a white flash of teleportation. A moment later she found herself standing on a balcony below a huge glass dome. Behind the glass, the stars glittered and winked on the navy blanket of the sky.

"I know this place!" she exclaimed as the king appeared close by. "It's the training course!"

She took a few steps farther toward where the balcony pierced the air with its sharp triangle shape. "It looks so… different. So impressive…" Standing there she felt like she was on a ship sailing the dark waters of the starry night.

"Yes."

She turned her head and saw Constantine look up at the sky. The opalescent light of the stars clang to his pale skin.

"Sometimes I come here when I need space for my thoughts," he said. "It used to be a sports arena. There is where the seats for the spectators can be set up." He pointed at the border of the course lined with V-shaped columns. It was dark there but their rims were glowing with the same cyan light that could be found anywhere in the castle.

"Did you design all that?" asked Starlight in awe.

A small proud smile touched his lips. "No, I'm afraid. It was done before me. I inherited it, like most things." He looked up at the sky again.

"I see." Starlight moved back from the edge of the balcony to stand closer to Constantine. It didn't feel right that she had been hogging the best viewing point for herself. Now the feeling of floating through the air wasn't as overwhelming but they shared it between each other and it was fair.

"All I inherited from my mother is this dress and my locket," she smiled, happy to find some common ground. "But most important, her love and her songs. Both are still with me." She gently covered her locket with the palm of her hand.

Constantine's expression was hard to decipher. Something akin to polite interest. Which, as Starlight knew now thanks to her acquaintance with queen Leora, could be covering up anything. And she couldn't help wondering what was hiding behind his mask.

She tightened her grip and made a decision.

"I'll show you."

She took off the locket and opened it up. A small hovering image of a woman cradling a baby appeared, and a soft chime of music echoed in the air. Constantine moved closer to inspect the curious thing, a look of professional interest on his face. Starlight smiled again. Definitely, he was missing the point.

"Listen," she said. "Close your eyes and listen."

With a brief frown he complied, resting a hand on the rail of the balcony as if he needed an anchor in the darkness that had swallowed him.

The music flowed further and Starlight began to sing quietly:

 _When you don't know where to go  
And you're feeling all alone  
Look inside yourself  
There's so much more than you know_

Now that his eyes were closed his face wore a hurt, almost childish expression. She continued:

 _You can be anything you want  
If you believe in who you are  
You'll light up the whole world  
You're shining so bright  
Anything is possible  
When you look into your heart  
Oh, oh, you're a shooting star_

She looked up at the sky and sang louder:

 _I can be anything I dream  
Live a life that's made for me  
I'll light up the whole world  
I'll be shining so bright  
Anything is possible  
When I look into my heart  
Oh, oh, I'm a shooting star_

Filled with great joy, she lifted up her hands as if offering her locket, her joy and her heart to the stars. The final note fluttered away. She turned around – sometime during the song she had stepped forward again and Constantine was behind her.

He was watching her, his lips a hard line, his brows in a disapproving frown. Starlight felt a bitter pang of disappointment. Why in the galaxy did she believe he would open up his heart to her if only she dared to open up hers?

"This… is the song my mother used to sing to me.' She put her locket back on. 'It helps me whenever I feel sad or insecure."

She looked at him as if to apologize, and yet still hoping for his reaction, almost begging for it. She had shared her greatest treasure with him, and she wasn't sure she could stand and watch him dismiss it as something not worthy to belong in his world.

He coughed, slightly humbled by her expecting gaze.

"It's a nice song, I presume. Very, um, unusual."

And before she could answer, he turned his back on her. He didn't leave, just faced the other side of the balcony and held the rail with both his hands. But Starlight felt she was facing the wall again.

 _Why can't we just talk?_ she thought. _Are we so different that we can never understand each other? Or does he think I'm too young and insignificant to speak to?_

It suddenly occurred to her that the king himself was rather young. He always seemed an ancient creature to her, partly because of his deep voice and partly because his crown looked like two strands of white hair against his shaved skin. But his own hair was black as coal, not even peppered with gray, and lines appeared on his face only when he frowned.

"Um, what happened to your parents?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Constantine gave her an odd look. For a moment she thought he wouldn't answer or would say something about her forgetting her place.

"What do you think happened to them? They perished."

"P-perished? That means, passed away?"

"Yes."

She had already suspected this. Had they been alive, Constantine's father could have still been the king.

"I see," she said quietly.

He looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "No, you don't. They were lost doing exactly what I attempted to do. They were killed at the Central Planet."

The words slowly sank in.

"Oh," said Starlight. "I'm… I'm so sorry." She knew she wasn't good at saying it. She looked him in the eye trying to convey her sympathy, but he turned away before he spoke again.

"I come from the long line of kings and queens who set to save the stars. A few even gave their own lives doing so. My parents were among those. I always knew I _had_ to be the one to finally succeed."

She wanted to say something, but the right words didn't come. Her hand instinctively tried to reach his before she even thought of what she was doing. She wanted to reach out for him, and she didn't care if it was improper. But he suddenly turned around and looked at her with bitterness and anger in his eyes. Her hand jerked away.

"But I didn't," he spat. "You saved the galaxy, and I failed. That's the truth of it. Now the people know their king failed, while some _girl_ succeeded."

"But…"

He held up a hand.

"And now you're back and everyone is admiring you, you are a princess, and you can be anything you dream," he added spitefully.

Her heart froze. She wanted to tell him he was wrong. She wanted to be kind, and understanding, and good-hearted. But his dark eyes were full of fiery hatred. He _hated_ her.

"Why did you make me a princess?" was all she could ask.

"Why? Obviously, I planned…" His face twitched as if he now hated the word. "I _hoped_ people would think of you as royalty and believe you are at least somehow connected to the royal family."

Tears blurred her vision. Now she didn't want to listen to him, she was terrified to hear more. She turned around and ran. He didn't stop her.

* * *

Back in her honeycomb room she buried her face in the pillow and cried like she never did, not even as a child. She had never been so hurt. He hated her just because she had been there to help. Just because she was the way she was. He would always hate her, no matter what.

A long time passed before her sobs finally quieted. She felt something warm and furry against her arm – Pupcorn came to comfort her, worried and alert. She sat up and hugged him, the big cat he had become.

"I know I will always have you," she whispered, her breath twining with his fur. "And you will love me no matter what I do or who I am, right?"

Pupcorn purred back in agreement.

* * *

The king went back to his chambers with a heavy heart. This, he thought, is what you get when you speak before you think. This is what you get when you open your mouth without the faintest idea of what you're going to say. This is what you get when acting without a plan.

With a sigh he lay back on his bed, not even taking off his boots. He wasn't sure he wanted to go to sleep yet. He didn't seem to be sure of anything.

He had never wanted to say what he had said to princess Starlight. These thoughts had been swirling in the deepest darkest corners of his mind, poisoning his life, but he never fully acknowledged their existence before tonight. At first, precisely a year ago, he was just glad the galaxy was safe. It was only days and weeks later he noticed that princess Starlight became the true hero to his people. Everywhere she went, she was welcome and admired. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that it was king Constantine's plan that saved them all!

Constantine sighed. He knew he lied to himself even now. She had saved the stars, and he had failed, he thought again for a thousandth time. Better remember that once and for all.

He knew it wasn't honorable to openly blame her. But today, when she was there, so close, with her eyes shining and her clear strong voice singing about things he _hated…_ She was there in her celestial glory, mocking him, reminding him yet again that he had failed the very cause he had been born to serve.

He groaned and banged his head against his pillow. Then he grabbed the pillow and placed it on top of his face instead, half-hoping it would suffocate him and spare him further painful thoughts. It didn't.

He could still see the terrified look in her eyes as she shrank away from him, as if afraid he would hit her. There were times when he wished his words always had such an effect on his subjects. But not her. Somehow, not her anymore. And despite his wounded vanity, he knew why: nothing of this was her fault.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Ouch, that hurt! The full name of the chapter should read "Be Careful What You Wish For", of course.

I made a bold assumption that Constantine inherited his mission from his parents – after all, it could be either that or Constantine is several hundred years old (remember Artemis giving a list of failed attempts that took place about a hundred years before?). Well, it is possible, of course, that a year on Oppa-Irri is like a month on Earth, but that would mean Constantine can't remember what happened during his own time, which would also be odd.

I wanted Starlight to realize Constantine was quite young, but not in the "Hm, he's young and hot" kind of way, rather "Hey, he's not that old, his parents are supposed to be still around, where are they?" I personally think Constantine is not much older than 30. But when you are 18, anyone older than 20 is a dinosaur.

And dead parents, why, it's the very classics of family entertainment! Ask Disney, ask Starlight's mom!:D

I was also thrilled by the idea of using Starlight's trademark song in a topsy-turvy way. It sounds rather ruthless when heard by somebody less hopeful, doesn't it? Like, "I get to be anything I dream, and YOU DON'T, haha!"


	4. Morning

**Chapter 4 – Morning**

Starlight was woken up by a quiet yet annoying sound. She got up, squinting at the sun rays coming through the window and wondering why there was an alarm clock set for her. But it wasn't the alarm clock, it was the door. She was already dressed up in her usual clothes, so she thought her appearance would have to do. Her mind still numb, she came up to the door and pushed the luminous symbols with both her hands.

The doors slid apart, and she faced Sal-Lee, Leo, and the twins.

"Wow, you look… terrible," gasped the twins.

"Good morning to you too." She forced a smile as the events of the previous evening drifted up in her mind.

"You missed breakfast," said Leo, wearing his typical I-have-no-idea-what's-going-on expression, but his blue eyes perceptive and worried. "We thought we'd pop up with some snacks."

He held up a plastic bag.

"Thanks, guys," Starlight smiled gratefully and let them in.

"You look so pale," said Kareena, and Sheena nodded, "Your pink streak, it's gone…"

Starlight lifted a hand to touch her hair. "I guess I'm too tired to look colorful today."

"Where have you been?" asked Leo. "You were going to join us at the dance-floor, remember?"

"Yeah, well… I was busy." She didn't look him in the eye.

"Doing what?" asked Sal-Lee, watching her closely. "Rubbing salt into your eyes?"

Starlight only answered when they were all seated in the sofa circle of her room. "I went up to Constantine to apologize for the ice-cream I accidentally dropped on him. And we… had an argument."

Everyone waited, silently. They all wondered what that argument might have been about. She hadn't looked that bad even after he'd cut her from the team last year.

"Well," she said watching her knees, "he resents me for being the one who saved the stars. And he said he only gave me the title so that some of that fame may rub off on him."

After a moment of stunned silence the twins cried in unison, "Is he for real?!"

"Yes," Starlight sighed. "And it's… it's awful to know somebody hates you that much." Her shoulders sank.

"Wait a sec," said Leo. "You say he hates you because you did excellent job as his volunteer and saved the whole galaxy? This is crazy!" he added as she nodded miserably.

"With all due respect to his royal highness," drawled Sal-Lee, "can I scratch out his eyes the next time I see him?"

Starlight gave a mirthless laugh.

"Poor thing," cooed the twins hugging her between them.

"Never fear," said Kareena, "if he ever tries to say something nasty to you again, we'll send him bouncing off the wall."

Starlight found herself beaming. She still felt weak, all her energy drained out, but she was surrounded with comforting warmth of the twins, and Sal-Lee was rummaging through Leo's bag to prepare an improvised breakfast for her. Leo had reached for her guitar and was already starting an ugly duckling of a song to cheer her up.

And at that moment she felt better. It didn't matter what the king thought of her, nothing bad really mattered as long as she had her friends. And she almost didn't mind going through the misery of the previous night if only to feel their love and support. It was worth it.

After breakfast they went hoverboarding in the park, Sal-Lee and Starlight practicing their skills, the others watching and cheering. Then they had lunch at a café in the city and discussed their future. No one really wanted to stay in the castle for too long, Sal-Lee was eager to resume her regular training for the upcoming championship, the twins had to prepare for their exams on their home planet, and Leo announced that he wanted to become a full-time pilot. One who piloted ships of daring explorers, mad scientists, and adventurous travelers.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Sal-Lee. "Aren't you supposed to be doing some other important stuff that all princes must do?"

"Like show up and wave," smiled Starlight.

Leo blew his cheeks. "Well, yes, but I can't spend my whole life studying etiquette and traditions. If I want to remain in my right mind I have to give more of myself to something that really gives me a kick."

"I have a hunch your parents don't see it your way," Sal-Lee pointed out.

"I haven't told them yet," confessed Leo. "But I will."

After that the conversation turned to matters more at hand – like the question of whether they should be staying on Oppa-Irri any longer. They had planned to spend about a week there together, but now everybody felt they had outstayed their welcome with the king.

"I know! We could go camping!" suggested Sheena, and Kareena added, "They say Lower Van-Tu is cosmic this time of year."

"Yes, but…" Starlight bit her lip. "They have a very strict policy on alien animals in their ecosystem. I won't be able to bring Pupcorn with me."

"He could stay in the castle for a while, can't he?" said Sal-Lee. "Can't Artemis take care of him?"

Starlight shook her head. "Artemis is the king's servant. I don't want to ask him."

"I could ask my mom's maid," suggested Leo. "She loves cats, and my parents are going to stay here for a while, so when we're back he'll be thriving just where you left him."

They discussed the details of the camping plan, and in the end everyone agreed it was a perfect idea.

* * *

Constantine had been pacing the empty Grand Ballroom for what felt like hours. He knew he wanted to talk to princess Starlight but he didn't know how that could be arranged. He could send Artemis or the sprites for her, but both would require some sort of explanation as to why he was asking to see her, and that was unbearable. What's more, he didn't know how to apologize. He couldn't even remember the last time he had to apologize to anybody.

He could simply teleport her to wherever he wanted and talk to her, but he dismissed the idea. The location system showed him she was with others now, and he didn't want them to see her disappear and to ask questions later. He didn't want anyone to know. After a while he also realized he didn't feel like forcing her. _When all you had to do was ask_ , said a small voice in his head.

 _Nonsense_ , another voice said. _The king doesn't have to ask anyone. The king only gives orders and others carry them out!_

But he knew he couldn't order her to forgive him. This time he would have to ask.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

It is still a mystery to me why and how Barbie's hair change color in the movie. It seemed like when she was excited and happy, it became pink, and when she was tired or worried, it became plain blond again. Although the change took some time and always happened off-screen. Otherwise she would have been a chameleon, momentarily changing colors. :D


	5. Armistice

**Chapter 5 – Armistice**

It was already dusk when Starlight and her friends left the city and approached the castle.

"You go, guys. I'll just have another go at that double flip in the park," said Starlight patting her hoverboard.

"Sure you don't want some friendly competition?" asked Sal-Lee.

"No, I'm good. I just don't want to go back yet."

They said their good nights and left, and she set her hoverboard toward the park. She hadn't been practicing for too long before she stepped down again and sat down on a bench. She told Sal-Lee the truth: she simply didn't feel like going back to the castle. Didn't feel like bumping into a stern solemn figure of Constantine and having to look into his eyes – now that she knew what lay behind them.

With her eyelids half-closed, she watched the golden rays of the sun turn orange and slowly fade.

And then there was a white flash, and Constantine himself appeared before her eyes. She started and got up. Constantine immediately put his hands behind his back.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, princess," he said in his usual formal tone. "Please excuse my intrusion."

"It's okay", she said. "I was already going." She clutched her hoverboard and took a step away.

He raised a hand.

"No, I didn't want the place for myself. I wanted to talk to you."

She stopped and starred at him. He looked back at her in dismay.

"I feel like yesterday's night was not what you should have expected in this castle," he started, already cursing his eloquence. "I don't think it was becoming of me to tell you the things I said. I hope you could, um, ignore them."

Starlight blinked. "Ignore them…" she repeated blankly. How could you ignore something that hurt so much? How could she ever go back to polite conversations with him knowing how he truly felt? "It'll be… difficult," she managed to say feeling tears pooling her eyes again. Don't be such a baby, she told herself. Pull yourself together, don't you cry in front of him.

"Yes, I understand." He rubbed his wrists nervously. "Still, it will be better if…"

He fell silent as he saw one single tear slide down her cheek. She brushed it away stubbornly and hugged her hoverboard as if for protection.

"I…" He struggled to remember what he was going to say. His mind went blank with only a low note of regret humming through it. "I'm sorry. I truly am. If only I could take it back, I would."

She straightened a bit. Like a small bird battered in a storm she was gathering up her strength to make one final move. She took a deep breath.

"You don't need to apologize for saying exactly what you meant. I wanted you to be sincere with me and I got exactly that. It serves me right. I was hoping that despite our differences you liked me. At least, I hoped you didn't hate me. But I was wrong and it hurts. Please, don't make me say all that polite royal nonsense that hides the truth."

Her eyes were now dry but her heart ached like never before. It was even hard to breathe.

"I never… You…" Now all Constantine's eloquence evaporated but it didn't make matters better. His face went through half a dozen expressions before setting in one very lost and uncharacteristically timid. He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to hurt you and I never meant to hate you. I just, I needed somebody to blame… and you were there." His shoulders sagged, even his winged sleeves couldn't hide it. "I needed to blame you so that I wouldn't have to accept that it was my own fault that I failed."

And without looking at her he took a few steps and sat down on the bench she'd been sitting on before, as if the words took all his energy.

Starlight was frozen to the spot, feeling like she was in a middle of a dream, one that involved Constantine being human and sincere. One where he cared about somebody else's feelings. She blinked hoping she wouldn't wake up.

"Really?" she said softly, sitting down next to him. He didn't look up and didn't answer but his silence was very confirming. "But… Can't you see, you were wrong about it all. You didn't fail."

He gave her an incredulous look over the fence of his sleeve.

"You didn't fail," she repeated. "It was your plan that led us to victory, can't you see? I may have done the big part, but I couldn't have done it alone. No one could. We needed Leo's piloting skills, we needed Sal-Lee's fast reactions, Sheena and Kareena's control over gravity. And most of all we needed someone to bring us together and teach us how to work together. You.'

She reached out and covered his hand with her small palm. He gave a start but didn't pull away.

"I... didn't think of it this way," he stammered. "I couldn't imagine there was another way of thinking about it."

"Of course there is. I would have said it earlier, if I only knew…"

His hand felt so warm and delicate beneath hers that she was starting to forget what she was saying. She gently pulled her hand away.

"I've been to a lot of places lately," she continued. "Everybody says you are the greatest, the bravest king in the Universe. Your parents would have been proud."

He turned to her, his brown eyes full of disbelief and gratitude but already he was building up his defensing wall of formality, his tone regaining its haughtiness. "I was so wrong. Please, forgive me, Princess." When she opened her mouth he held up a hand. "I didn't tell you the whole truth about your title. I truly meant it as a gesture of gratitude and recognition. It was only later that I started to think of it as an advantage for my own reputation. Will you keep it?"

She smiled. "Do I have a choice? Everybody thinks I'm a princess."

"Well," he smiled back, "once you told me you can be anything you dream. And I believe it's true. So it is up to you to decide."

Starlight chuckled. "I can't imagine what a shock it'll be for the king and queen of Kumai if you declare I'm not a princess anymore. I'll keep the title. I'm kind of used to it by now."

"I'm pleased to hear that."

The park all around them was growing darker, only the city lights and glimpses of light from the palace illuminating it now.

"It's getting late," said Starlight. "I should be going or I'll sleep in beyond all sensible time limits."

"Indeed", said Constantine and added as she got up, "Allow me."

He produced the holographic control panel from his sleeve, getting ready to teleport her to her room.

"Thank you," she said. "Good night, king Constantine."

"Good night, princess Starlight."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Phew, finally we got something here! Amidst all the heart-breaking drama. And don't worry, Constantine won't go out of character by being that candid too often. This time he was just taken by surprise, and I personally think that after he heard her say "I hoped you liked me" his brain capitulated. I believe he was torn between hating her and being hopelessly in love with her, and now that she took that hatred away, he kind of lost his ground. Serves him right for being such a jerk to her in the movie!:D

By the way, I'm trying my best to write in American/Canadian English here, but since I grew up on British and Australian books, my English is most likely a wild mixture of everything. That was a warning coming too late, wasn't it? If anyone is willing to point out all the typos and weird slips in the text, I'll be so very grateful if you send me a private message.

The story I've written is divided into three... eh, portions, so to say, just to make the uploading process smoother (isn't it frustrating when you have to wait days and weeks for each short chapter to be uploaded?). So these five chapters make the first part. Now you can decide if you want to read more, and I can take some time to edit further chapters. Don't worry, the story is finished, and I promise you a happy ending (these two deserve no less!). If you decide you want to read more, please drop a line in the reviews section so that I know somebody is actually waiting for me to upload the rest. Otherwise, my lazy editing can take forever. :))


	6. A Sweet Farewell

**Author's note:**

Thanks to everyone who's reading the story, it's magical to know I'm not the only Constarlight shipper here!

 **To** **Zarin22:** What a coincidence!:) I hope you enjoy the story! 3 I really wish there were more Constarlight fics (and fan art!) out there!

 **To Gex:** Thanks, I appreciate your comment a lot! ^_^ 3

Oops, I've just noticed I'm still using the European dash ( – ) with spaces on either side of it instead of the American dash (—) with no spaces. I hope it doesn't hurt your eyes, I might fix that later. Probably I'm the only nerd to care about such things.:D

Before we go on with the chapter, I'd like to point at something immensely cute in the movie. The scene with the starlian in the ballroom, right after Barbie prevented Constantine from being eaten by the beast (haha), look at Constantine: he's standing there considering whether he should change his decision about Barbie after all, and suddenly he gives a start before clearing his throat and saying he decided to have her back. The thing is: what made him start was HER CHUCKLE. Just look at his face when he hears it! Aaaw! _Somebody_ was totally in love with princess Starlight even before she became a princess!:D

Now, enlightened and edified by this, let's hop into the chapter! I finally have some cookies for you there!:3

* * *

 **Chapter 6** **–** **A Sweet Farewell**

The next morning, for no reason at all, king Constantine was roaming the hall that led from the guests' rooms to the common dining room. He was the king, he thought, so he could walk wherever he liked with whatever purpose he liked. Or with lack of such purpose. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that princess Starlight was destined to pass that corridor if she ever chose to have breakfast.

So far he only met prince Leo and the other girls. They greeted him rather icily and got no reply whatsoever for their trouble. Who did they think they were, addressing him without proper respect?

Not much else was going on. He didn't see the king and queen of Kumai – they had their breakfasts in their suit, avoiding the common dining room for the mere word 'common' in its name. He himself never dined with his guests either.

As time went by, the king drifted further from the dining room and closer to the princess's room. Why did she always have to be so late? Not that he cared, no. When he practically faced her door, he came to his senses and strutted away from it. He didn't want to speak to her (for he had nothing to say), he just _didn't mind_ seeing her on her way and politely nodding to her. Yes, just seeing her would be nice. He rubbed his hand, the one that she'd touched. What an improper gesture on her part! Somehow he had always made sure she would never touch him, not even when she had held out a hand to ask him to dance last year. He had always been so annoyed with this tiny wayward girl that letting her touch him was the last thing he ever wanted to allow to happen. Now he knew exactly why – it still felt like her hand was on his and the sensation just wouldn't come off.

He went further away, then turned around and slowly sauntered back in the general direction of her room. And just as he was considering turning back again, the door opened with a soft swoosh and the princess herself walked out. She immediately saw him.

"King Constantine." Her puzzled look dissolved into a smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning, princess Starlight. Or should I say good day."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I am a bit behind my schedule, as usual." She bent down and lifted up her bag and her guitar from the floor behind the door. Constantine blinked in surprise and noticed that she was also dressed in her traveling garments.

"Are you going somewhere?" he said, approaching closer.

Starlight realized that probably no one had informed the king of their plan to go camping. "Well, yes," she said apologetically. "We decided we should cut our visit to Oppa-Irri short and go to Lower Van-Tu. We did complete the official part of our visit here, didn't we?" she asked, hoping they weren't messing up Constantine's plans. She hadn't cared about it the day before but now she did.

"Leaving already?" He was taken aback. "Well, no, there are no official ceremonies left, but…" He desperately rummaged his mind for a cogent reason for her to stay. There was none. "I just thought… But never mind."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I forgot," she said, her innocent eyes asking for pardon.

For a moment he was tempted to lose his temper. To tell her this was not how things were done in his castle. To tell her that if she wanted to leave, she would have to ask for his permission first and obediently wait for his decision. But he knew better now. It would only make things worse. She was about to flutter away and he could do nothing to stop her without crushing her wings with his ire. He would have to let her go. Perhaps she would come back next year for another formal celebration, if she wasn't engaged. He started inwardly as he remembered this word had yet another meaning.

"I see," he said feeling hollow pain in his chest. She was standing so close, with her blue eyes, coral lips, and her whimsical braid on her shoulder. He liked that braid – it kept her hair in graceful order. Yes, of all things mentioned, it was best to keep watching the braid.

"I guess I should go, then," she said hesitantly. She had a feeling Constantine was going to say something more. So she waited.

"Yes." He nodded, his figure straight and one hand behind his back. "It has been an honor to have you here, princess Starlight. I am very grateful for everything you did and said."

She smiled her warm smile. "Thank you, king Constantine."

Maybe it was the smile. Or the elegant way she had said it. But he suddenly felt inspired to treat her like true royalty, like the princess she was, so he bowed to her in the equally elegant way. And as he did so, he realized this was his farewell. He might never even see her again. The thought pierced him like a lightning and he raised his head up a bit too early – and found himself face to face with her lagoon blue eyes and tender lips. Her velvet eyebrows shot up as she saw him so close. But she didn't move. He wanted to commit this moment to his memory – the sight of her, the smell of her, the warmth of her. And before he could ask himself what in the galaxy he was doing, he found his lips on hers.

Starlight couldn't move away even if she wanted to. When his lips gently touched hers, a swirling wave of heat and feeling flashed through her like a whirlpool of glittering stardust, leaving the tips of her fingers tingling and her heart pounding. The slightest trembling of his lips against hers felt like a hypnotizing melody, one that had you move and dance without your consciousness involved. She wanted to hear more of it, to feel more of it. She kissed him back the only way she knew – gently tugging at his lips with hers. She felt him gasp in surprise. Acting on their own, her hands quickly grasped his head, not to let him straighten up. He didn't try to, his lips willingly following the mesmerizing rhythm of her kiss. Her fingers felt the silky threads of his hair, then the hard plastic of his crown. For a fleeting moment she wanted to push her nails underneath that crown, feel it crack and fall away exposing his delicate skin to her touch. But she didn't dare. His hands cupped her face and his thumbs stroke her cheeks lightly, his mouth drinking her lips in one last motion before he had to break the kiss and gasp for air, leaving her dazed in a vertigo of emotions.

The breath he took sobered him and he became painfully aware of his surroundings and the puzzled look on the princess's face.

"I… I have to go now. Have a safe journey," he blurted out, pushing a button on his sleeve, and was gone in a white flash.


	7. Hearts in the Woods

**Chapter 7** **–** **Hearts In the Woods**

When Starlight finally turned up at the dock, everyone else had already boarded the ship.

"Hey, you didn't even…" started Sheena, "have breakfast?" finished Kareena as Starlight dumped her bag and guitar case under her seat. This was Leo's own ship, small but fast and cozy.

"No, I forgot."

"Forgot?!" Leo's stunned voice echoed from the pilot seat. "How can you keep forgetting breakfast?"

Sal-Lee seated herself next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." She fought the urge to cover her mouth with her hand as if it could betray her by its mere sight. "I feel much better now, thanks."

Sal-Lee smiled with just a corner of her mouth. "Cool pink streak. I think I've never seen you have it _and_ the braid at the same time."

As the ship took off, Starlight relaxed a bit. Nobody could possibly guess what had happened. And she didn't think they would believe it even if she told them. As far as her friends were concerned, she and Constantine still weren't talking to each other. She wouldn't want to convince them otherwise. She had yet to wait for the events of the morning to percolate in her baffled brain.

He had kissed her. The mere thought sent another wave of heat through her body. It wasn't as cosmic as when he actually kissed her but familiar enough. She held her breath until her mind cleared. Why did he kiss her? Generally, she knew, kisses were signs of affection, love and devotion, but neither word went natural in one sentence with king Constantine. Only the day before she was convinced he hated her! Apparently, he didn't. Yes, he had told her he didn't. But it was one thing to hear it, and a completely different one to… Her verbal train of thought was again overrun by the lingering sensation on her lips and on her jawline, where his hands tentatively caressed her skin.

She rubbed her cheek pensively, then quickly drew her hand away lest somebody notice her odd behavior.

"By the way," called Leo. "I told my parents about my heart's desire to be a free piloting spirit."

"Let me guess, they aren't that content," drawled Sal-Lee.

"You're psychic!" laughed Leo.

* * *

Lower Van-Tu reminded Starlight of her home Para-Den. It was a small planet covered in dense green forests and deep blue oceans, one where people and animals lived in a long-established harmony. The ship went through the customs satellite and landed on the continent where tourists were allowed to make camp. Soon Starlight and her friends were exploring exotic woods, flowery hills, and swift rivers with the help of holographic pop-ups ("Don't feed fish", "Mind your step, screaming mushrooms ahead", and "No flower picking if you value your fingers"). The day was full of new sights, new adventures, and new animal friends – some were shy yet curious and friendly, others had superior carnivorous air and were better left alone minding their own business.

Later, the friends set up a hovertent over a small forest clearing. A pop-up here told them the place had been approved for camping purposes.

It was only in the evening, when all of them sat around the comfy fire of a fire orb, Starlight's thoughts drifted back to Oppa-Irri and its king. She couldn't help imagining him sitting close to her now, holding her hand, while she would casually lay her head on his shoulder. Her imagination didn't want to listen to reason. It didn't want to admit that hardly anything could make Constantine go camping to some forsaken corner of the galaxy. It disregarded the fact that Constantine was highly unlikely to show any affection in public. And it even refused to consider his obnoxious sleeves that made any shoulder contact impossible. All she knew was that she wanted him to be here now, no matter how ridiculous her wish was.

As she pushed her thoughts back to reality, she found herself sitting next to Sal-Lee and watching Leo try to roast marshmallows over the fire orb. The twins were attempting the same with the help of their powers. Starlight chuckled and moved closer to Sal-Lee.

"This is going to be galactically good," she said.

"Yeah, if you like marshmallow coals, perhaps," answered Sal-Lee lightly, a trace of a smile in her voice.

Starlight felt an irresistible urge to laugh, a bubble of happiness puffing up inside her lungs, almost lifting her up from the ground. She chuckled again.

"It's so nice here," she said. "I don't remember the last time I was so happy."

Sal-Lee put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad to see you perky again."

Starlight leaned against her shoulder, grinning. She badly wanted to share her thoughts with somebody. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. And yet she desperately needed to tell somebody.

"Sal-Lee, how do you know if you're in love?" she asked at last.

Sal-Lee, who had been regularly bragging about her numerous dates with dewy eyed boys, laughed abruptly and shrugged, causing Starlight to straighten up a bit. "You just know, don't you?" she replied.

"Well, yeah... But how do you know if it's not just a silly crush?"

Sal-Lee looked down and picked up a grass-blade before answering. "If you really care about somebody, you don't even care about your own feelings, I guess. While if it's just a crush, all you care about is your feelings and whether you get what you want."

"Oh… I didn't think about it... I guess you are right." Starlight lowered her gaze. Had she been selfish imagining Constantine next to her here while she clearly knew he wouldn't be comfortable with the very idea?

Sal-Lee noticed her words had upset her friend. "Hey, cheer up. Just trust your heart and you can't get it wrong."

Starlight smiled a grateful smile. "Yeah, I'll just listen to my heart." She yawned. "Maybe I'll listen to it tomorrow, and see what it has to tell me. For now, I'll just get some sleep."

* * *

Back on Oppa-Irri king Constantine was distracting himself with his routine royal duties – which mostly included passing orders to Artemis and snapping at him no matter how impeccably the robot carried them out.

Outwardly Constantine was even more severe and stiff, and the guests who still stayed at the castle evaded his company with all their might.

But inwardly he just spent his time being miserable. He couldn't understand why he had to miss the little princess so much. She had always been a nuisance. Yes, yes, she was the one to save the galaxy, and she was kind to him, and she… And she had kissed him back.

This last one was unbelievable. He hadn't planned to kiss her and he certainly hadn't expected her to kiss him back. In fact, he had expected her to draw back as soon as she saw him too close. He would have just said something like, "Oh I'm sorry, princess, I didn't see you there" and back away with all due dignity.

But she had kissed him back and now he missed her even more than he had ever anticipated he could. It wasn't about the way her lips moved on his, it was about the fact that she cared in every possible sense of the word. She had willingly handed over some of her fame to him, telling him she couldn't have saved the stars without him, opening his eyes to that fact. She had even said she was hoping that he liked her. To be frank, he never liked her. He detested her, looked down on her, was amazed by her, admired her, adored her, but never merely liked her.

And now she was gone. Did it even matter how he felt about her or how she felt about him if she wasn't ever coming back? She might care for him, but she wanted nothing of him, not his castle, not his power. It was ironic, since Constantine knew many noble women who wouldn't mind snaffling him and becoming the queen, no matter how unbearable they found his temper. He just hadn't been planning to marry anyone soon – why would he, the galaxy was saved and didn't need an heir yet. And when he finally did decide to get married, he planned to choose the most suitable, most noble young lady, properly educated, properly behaved, properly vapid. Princess Starlight was nothing like that, and he didn't even muse on the idea of making her his queen.

So it was just as well she had gone away. He didn't have to wonder what it was he felt for her, and he didn't have to wish she was back again if only for another day, another hour, another touch, another _glance_.

He didn't have to, but he did.


	8. Invited Once Again

**Chapter 8 – Invited Once Again**

If anyone was certainly happy in the castle of Oppa-Irri, it was Pupcorn. He was coddled and pampered by queen Leora's maid and he didn't mind Starlight's temporary absence – he knew she would be back soon, so he just enjoyed his life while waiting. Queen Leora wasn't happy to discover a huge cat accompanying her maid, but the queen had more pressing matters on her mind, so Pupcorn got away with everything, even running in the hall and hunting down the droid butler.

It was Artemis who came to the rescue and finally caught Pupcorn. The huge cat almost overbalanced him, but he stood his ground, literally. As the droid flew away, indignantly buzzing, Artemis considered reporting the cat to king Constantine. Indubitably, his master wouldn't be elated by the news about a monstrous furry creature haunting the castle. Lately the king was deeply troubled by something, and Artemis didn't feel it safe to add to his grave mood. Instead Artemis fulfilled his duty by simply passing the creature on to the maid who had come running after it.

So, unlike Pupcorn, unlike queen Leora and her maid, king Constantine knew nothing of Starlight's intention to return to Oppa-Irri. He was in his private quarters, designing some high-tech trinket (which was supposed to be an advanced alarm clock but turned out to be a music box) when he was distracted by a message from the Internal Traffic operator.

"Sire. There is a small private ship requesting the permit to land on the castle premises. Its ID number is…"

Constantine straightened up, his mouth gaping. He was good with numbers and immediately knew which ship that was. The one that took her away.

"Shall the request be granted?" asked the mechanical voice.

"Yes! Ahem, yes."

He was very tempted to demand the list of passengers. He had the right to do so, of course. But he decided not to. Probably, it was just the Kumaian prince returning to join his tiresome parents. Constantine's feet itched to walk up to the dock and see for himself who was getting off the ship. But the king descending to the docking level to peek at some passengers arriving – that was unheard of!

 _That is ridiculous,_ he thought, _all I have to do is check the cameras._

His hand slid along the huge glass screen of the room, summoning the control panel of the castle's video monitoring network. He found the camera he needed just in time to see the hatch-door of the ship opening and the bridge sliding down. A violet-clad figure was the first one to come out. The hoverboarding champion. Then came the two airy inseparables. And after them… There she was, right next to the Kumaian prince, lively and graceful, her eyes shining like the stars she had taught to dance.

Constantine felt he needed to sit himself for a while – his feet were refusing to carry him anywhere now. She was back! Why? What for? These questions mattered, but all he could think of now was the mere fact she was here again. He slumped into his working chair, his head spinning.

And then, with a chiming sound and a white flash, Artemis teleported into the workroom.

"Sire," he began. "Queen Leora of Kumai is humbly asking you for an audience."

Constantine peeled himself off the back of his chair. "I am very busy…" he began as he glanced at the screen again. The shipping dock was deserted. "Uh, fine, I'm not too busy. Escort her to the Grand Ballroom, I'll see her in a minute."

* * *

Queen Leora greeted him with a torrent of flattery and nothings. Eyeing her apathetically from the height of his throne, Constantine responded in the customary manner. "I hope you are enjoying your stay on Oppa-Irri."

"Immensely!" She curtseyed, wiry as a willow. "The Opera House and the Science Museum are a magnificent sight, nothing like we have on our own home planet!"

"I am very glad to hear you are pleased," he said with stiff dignity, hoping it wouldn't take her forever to get to the point.

And she eventually did. Translated from her ornate social dialect and shortened, her request boiled down to a wish for another formal dinner. And since it was a perfect excuse to see a certain princess, Constantine didn't think too long to agree to grant the wish.

"I would be very grateful," the queen added in her sugary voice, "for a more old-fashioned choice of music, if that is not too troublesome to arrange."

He assured her it was no trouble at all, inwardly glad she hadn't seen him dance to a freaky beat.

"Enchanted by your hospitality, king Constantine." She bowed deeply and left the ballroom.

Constantine called Artemis and instructed him to arrange the dinner and send out the sprites with invitations. He was so preoccupied with his own reasons to like the idea of another gala that he never thought of queen Leora's.


	9. The Secret Dance

**Chapter 9 – The Secret Dance**

"Can you believe it!.." cried Sheena, and Kareena added, "Another dinner party!"

Now the five friends were gathered in Starlight's room again, sharing the news of the invitations they all had got.

"Dinner is always good," nodded Leo, settling himself next to Sal-Lee. "But…"

"Maybe the king wants to apologize to you, after all?" cut in Sal-Lee as she rose and moved to sit between the twins and Starlight.

"Who knows," shrugged Starlight lightly.

She was resolute to keep her feelings to herself now. Back on Lower Van-Tu she couldn't hear exactly what her heart was telling her, no matter how hard she tried. For one thing, she longed to be close to him, to kiss him and be kissed, to look into his eyes and to see all the mysteries they held. Still, that time when he was so painfully genuine in his bitterness and anger left her heart apprehensive. Her thoughts were cluttered with dozens of what-ifs and better-nots generously provided by the voice of reason. And yet, by the time she was back in the castle, the said voice was reduced to feeble mumbling, and her heart skipped a beat every time she saw the Oppa-Irrian emblem with Constantine's smug profile on it.

"I like the idea of another party," Starlight added and grinned. "Maybe I'll get to dance this time."

"Don't get your hopes up!" warned Leo. "My mum _personally_ asked Constantine for a _proper_ dinner, and that means no wiggle-waggle on the dance-floor. I only hope she didn't forbid the food as well!"

* * *

And he was right to worry. By the time they got to the Grand Ballroom, almost on time, the dinner was only one degree less official than a funeral. There were about half the usual number of guests, the tables already set, and Starlight was horrified to discover she was supposed to sit next to queen Leora herself. Alas, she couldn't move the cards this time, not under the older lady's nose. She shot a desperate glance at Sal-Lee, but her friend was sitting too far away.

"At least, we don't have to wave," said Leo, sitting down on the other side of her. Starlight smiled. Fortunately, she knew now how to use the confusing Oppa-Irrian tableware, Leo had taught her long ago.

She exchanged pleasantries with queen Leora and king Leonard, who was sitting by his wife's side. Tonight the royal couple were dressed in green, a very dignified dark shade of it. Starlight was happy to receive no comment on her own gown, since she was still wearing her mother's, this time neutrally silver.

She produced her meal from the tube served by the droid butler and covertly scanned the room for Constantine's presence. And there he was, wandering among the guests, not exactly making conversation but rather making sure everything was up to scratch. As more and more guests were settling down at the tables, Constantine drifted toward the raised platform where his throne stood. Starlight eyed him, somewhat disappointed. She had been hoping he would come up to her, if only to say hello. But he gave her just a cursory uncommitted glance and went up the stairs.

Starlight turned her gaze to her plate. She only got to look at her dinner once when queen Leora suddenly started a conversation with her. At first, Starlight thought it was another portion of noble small talk, some customary interruption before consumption of food could be permitted. But it soon became evident that the queen _really_ wanted to talk. She asked Starlight questions, she offered anecdotes on Kumaian life, she listened, she gave witty remarks, she asked for Starlight's opinion. Starlight was too surprised and too well-bread to do anything about it. She only stole a glance at Leo, who winked at her in an I-told-you-so manner while tucking into his dinner. By the time the desserts were served, Starlight felt like queen Leora could now easily write a book about her. Something titled _The Princess Who Saved the Galaxy: A Biography_. It was little consolation that the queen hadn't eaten anything either.

 _Maybe that's why she's so thin_ , Starlight thought.

The robot host announced the dance. The music that followed had the familiar mind-numbing touch to it. Several sad couples dragged themselves to the dance-floor by mere force of habit.

"How delightful," queen Leora uttered in a nostalgic voice, eyeing the couples. "I remember when I was a young lady, I _loved_ dancing."

King Leonard angled toward his wife. "Actually, darling, we are not too old to…"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," the queen reprimanded half-heartedly, with a blush showing through the thick layer of powder on her face.

Starlight saw Leo roll his eyes. Queen Leora saw it too.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, young man," said the queen, still in that light tone of hers. "You would do better to turn your attention to the young lady and ask her to dance."

Leo almost choked on his dessert. "I… I don't think it's a good idea."

Starlight chuckled and offered him a hand. "Why not, you did learn how to dance, didn't you?"

"Not _this_ kind of dance, I haven't." His eyes were explicitly begging for clemency. "And I still haven't finished my cupcake." He waved the cupcake as a proof.

Starlight chuckled again and put her hand down. "Fine, I'll let you live this time."

"Phanksh!" he thanked with his mouth full.

Queen Leora looked at her son in dismay, then shrugged gracefully. "Our poor family, no decent man to ask a girl to dance."

King Leonard's head appeared from behind her shoulder again. "Leora, darling, why don't _we_ dance?"

But she didn't relent. "Not before I have some of this wonderful blackberry pie." She gestured at the pie and a droid flew up to serve her a slice of it.

Starlight turned to Leo for another glance of mutual understanding. But Leo was staring at something behind her back, bewildered. Starlight froze, suddenly aware of somebody's presence behind her chair. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Princess Starlight?" said Constantine's deep velvety voice.

She slowly turned around and saw him standing right beside her. For just a second her arms and legs turned into jelly but she forced them to behave.

"May I have the pleasure of sharing this dance with you?" He courteously pressed one hand to his chest while extending the other.

"Sure", she said, carefully placing her hand upon his and standing up with a smile.

Despite what she feared, her legs didn't refuse to carry her away from queen Leora's pouncing reach, forward to the spotlight of the dance-floor, where some couples still stirred. Her hand trembled a bit, but that couldn't be helped.

* * *

Earlier that night Constantine had been deeply regretting the idea of another gala. Too late he realized that although he would see princess Starlight again, watching her would be the only possible form of interaction. He had believed that merely seeing her would make him happy, but the effect was contrary. She was as unreachable as a star from another universe. He couldn't just walk up and talk to her. What would he say? "How are you doing, Princess? Oh, about that kiss… Well…"

In the end, he scraped up his dignity and resolved to stay away from her and behave in a detached confident manner, like the king should. But when he was walking past her table, she glanced at him with such earnest yearning in her gaze that he could hardly remember where he was heading.

As his guests started their dinner and he was gracing them with silent approval from above, he came up with a plan. Ask her to dance. No talking needed. Plain and simple. The only problem was – he didn't really know how to dance. But he had seen others waltz for hundreds of times, he remembered every move, he had even indulged in imagining himself doing it, once or twice. Maybe he could mimic their movements. He had never attempted to, but he just hadn't had the reason to try, had he?

So when Starlight's hand trembled in his, as they went to the dance-floor, he was sure the tremble was his own. The dancing couples made room for them and the robot DJ made sure the melody was starting from the beginning again. Eventually everybody's eyes were on them.

They stood facing each other, hand in hand. Her eyes shining, a shy smile on her lips. His lips curved upward slightly in a self-assured manner that hid how terrified he was.

* * *

Starlight was perceiving very little when she stepped onto the dance-floor. She felt giddy for no particular reason and the only thing true and solid in her spinning world was Constantine's hand supporting hers. As she turned and faced him, his eyes became her anchor to reality. Brown, with specks of gray, they were warm and chilling at the same time.

He put his other hand on her waist and she was tempted to abandon all consecutive thinking and just dive into a tide of emotion.

But she didn't – for she suddenly realized they were heading toward a disaster. They hadn't taken into account the difference in their height. He could put his hand on her waist all right, but she couldn't possibly put hers on his shoulder, not without looking like a mountain climber about to start a climb. And her fingers would certainly get caught up in the gap of the hard plastic of his sleeve.

His eyes widened as he realized why she was hesitating. Apparently, he didn't know what to do. She didn't either, but suddenly she was inspired to act without thinking. She took his hand, the one cupping her waist, and placed it on her shoulder instead. Then she curled her own hand around his waist, just above his belt. His eyebrows quirked up – this certainly wasn't the accustomed dancing position. But it worked for them.

Constantine started their dance from the wrong leg, but Starlight was quick enough to notice and follow his move without dashing in the opposite direction. He was leading their way, intently if a bit rigidly, and she was wafted along, synchronizing her moves to his. She wasn't starring into his eyes anymore, too focused on where she should put her feet next. Very soon she became aware of the gaping assonance between the melody and his steps. She exerted some pressure on his hand and waist to correct the rhythm but sure enough he didn't yield.

"Relax," she said, smiling her most reassuring smile. "Just let the music guide you and it's going to be much easier!"

Constantine gave her a rather embarrassed smile, which looked immensely charming on his austere countenance.

* * *

Starlight chuckled and her eyes sparkled with dozens of tiny turquoise stars. Constantine wasn't sure what she'd found so funny, but there was so much warmth and concern in her gaze, that never for a second he suspected she might be ridiculing him. Her drew a deep breath and did his best to go with the flow of music, instead of struggling against it. And a miraculous thing happened – his whole body became lighter and his feet knew how to move without his slightest control, as if the melody itself were carrying him through the air.

"See," the princess grinned.

And he almost grinned back but remembered in time that they were being watched. He didn't want his face to give away too much. So he resorted to a lopsided smile instead.

* * *

Starlight felt the change instantly, the weight restricting her movements gone, her other senses coming through at once. She became acutely aware of his hands, especially his palm resting on her shoulder, on the very side where her dress had no strap. His fingertips brushed against the back of her neck, inciting sparks of stardust to whirl on her skin. His other hand was gently carrying hers, his thumb protectively covering her knuckles.

Her head swam, partly because of the circular nature of the dance, partly because of her desire to draw him closer, snuggle against his chest, and feel his arms wrap around her.

* * *

Constantine wanted to say something, anything at all, just to balance things out, since she had said some words to him and he'd said none. But all he could do was gaze into her halcyon eyes and keep his face impassive. She was so otherworldly beautiful, a star from a distant constellation. And yet she was so close now, and so happy. Waves of her happiness were reverberating through his veins like music through empty corridors. His hand could feel her pulse beating somewhere near her collarbone, and as they waltzed, her hair, done in ponytail, tantalizingly stroke his fingers.

He longed to pull her closer, to kiss her, to tell her… What? He didn't know.

The melody they were dancing to was coming to its end and soon he would have to let her go. But before the silence fell, before anyone else could hear them, he said:

"Princess, you are so beautiful."

Did her cheeks go pink a little? Or was it just play of the light? Perhaps, they had always been this pretty shade of rosy, and he was just slow to notice.

The music ceased. Still holding her hand, he escorted her back to the table to place her exactly where he had taken her from. Then he bobbed a small bow and was gone.

* * *

"You do know how to dance, princess Starlight," said queen Leora with a surprising touch of respect in her voice.

"I guess. Thanks," she mumbled politely, feeling a bit out of breath. How could she ever have thought of this kind of music as a lullaby?

Another dance was about to start, and this time king Leonard was determined not to miss the opportunity. "Let's set the most excellent example, darling. And hope that Leo will follow us someday, preferably in this century."

He took queen Leora's hand, and the queen allowed him to lead her away.

Starlight turned to Leo, half fearing he might spot something about herself she didn't want anyone to now.

"Sometimes they are just like kids," said Leo, eyeing the ceiling for just a second.

"It's nice, in fact," she said with a shrug and a smile. "They seem to be having fun."

"Nice change! Um, thanks for _not_ dancing with me, by the way. If they saw me staggering and tripping on your feet, I would never hear the end of it!" He briefly made sure his plate was not empty and continued. "So did the king apologize for being an… well, basically a jerk?"

"Sort of, yes," Starlight replied, her eyes laughing.

"Good," said Leo, obviously relieved. "So we don't have to leave right away? I dread the time I have to face my folks at home and tell them I haven't changed my mind. As long as they are on their royal vacation, I don't have it half as hard."

"You will have to talk to them anyway, sooner or later," countered Starlight.

"Better later," said Leo gravely, biting into a waffle.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Damn, I hate writing Leo! %D I was never able to grasp his easygoing speech!

I noticed something when I was re-watching the movie. At the end, when the stars are dancing again, Constantine struggles to say something ("It's so… so…") but he doesn't say the word "beautiful" until Starlight says it first. It's like she taught him the word and the concept of beauty. Isn't it sweet?


	10. Royal Surprises

**Author's note:** I solemnly swear I'm up to no good with this chapter! :D)))

* * *

 **Chapter 10** **–** **Royal Surprises**

The next morning, Starlight woke up earlier than could ever be expected from her. She felt full of energy and her feet ached for a good hoverboarding session. She was just about to slip away from her room when a soft buzzing sound informed her of an incoming call from her father.

"Up already, huh?" He beamed. "I was hoping to catch you, just to make sure you still remember what your father looks like."

Starlight readily lowered her hoverboard onto the sofa and sat down next to it. "Sorry, I've been so busy these days, never seen it coming! I was going to call you! How are you? The animals?"

"Fine, how else would we be! You?"

"Great, dad! How else would I be!" She mirrored his smile. "Having galas and dancing all night, like a decent princess should!"

He looked at her perceptively. "No worries, no troubles?"

"Not much," she said with a subtle smile.

"And I remember times when you told me everything! Seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?"

"Dad!" she chided half-heartedly, the smile never leaving her face.

Father lifted up his hands. "All right, all right! You are grown-up now, I get it!" He cleared his throat. "So, anyone special in your life yet?"

"Hey, that's personal!" She burst out laughing and hid her face behind a cushion.

"I take it as a yes?" He gave her a hawkish parental glance after his initial shock. "Someone kind and caring, I hope?"

"Dad! Do I do already look like a shy beetroot from all your questioning?"

"Not really, no. But back to the point – if anyone hurts my little girl, I'll…"

Starlight covered her ears, ostentatiously. Her father sighed. "I just worry about you, like any father would. You will always be my little girl, the one who used to tell me she was scared."

Starlight lowered her hands and her gaze. "I still am… Everything is so... confusing. I'm not sure my heart knows the right answer."

Her father's voice became softer. "But it always does. You just need to listen." The cleared his throat again and added, "And you can always talk to me, maybe I can suggest an answer or two."

Starlight smiled gratefully. "Thanks, dad. I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

Minutes later she was gliding through the fresh morning air high above the city, circling around the castle towers. A luminous rose-tinted haze veiled the city's skyscrapers and descended into mauve shadows below, while golden rays of the sun hemmed the clouds above. The sky was spangled with stars, their glimmer slightly dulled by dawn and kaleidoscopically colorful strokes of galactic light.

Starlight's heart sung in assonance with all the beauty around her, and her arms spread like wings, as if hoping to reach the furthest corners of the universe with their touch. She was in love – with life, with the world, with everything that lived and loved her in return.

She took a deep breath to taste the breeze and all the smells it carried. There were very few. The tang of plastic buildings heated by the sun, a trace of ozone from the ships floating through the air. Nothing like the rich humid atmosphere of Para-Den, with every flower and plant contributing to it, with the vapor from the moist ground below and the scent of leaves withering only to be replaced by the sweet smell of new buds.

The atmosphere of Oppa-Irri was blank, vacuous. There were no plants, except for just a few green spots of parks, tiny compared to the expanse of the city. And no animals, no birds. Only bustling human activity. There seemed to be skyscrapers _below_ skyscrapers. And below them only a gaping void. Starlight suddenly felt queasy but braced herself and focused on her moves.

She shot lower toward the familiar park and its fanciful bushes. There she stepped down from her hoverboard and walked pensively among the stone cubes and bush-beds. Akin to flowerbeds, the bush-beds confined all vegetation and prevented it from spreading onto the pavement. To think of it, there was too much walking space for a park not really frequented by the city dwellers. But that was how things were done on Oppa-Irri.

* * *

Constantine didn't have much sleep that night. At some point he fell into a restless dream, one where he was dancing with Starlight again, but it wasn't a reverie conjured by his imagination, it was rather a cardboard replay of the evening, repeated by his fatigued brain over and over again, and when he finally woke up in the morning, he wasn't sure if he had been sleeping at all.

He dragged himself through a shower, then with sullen countenance let Artemis perform all the footman duties – dressing him up, shaving clean any bristle on his face and head, and meticulously combing his crest of hair.

"Is everything fine, sire?" Artemis dared to ask, registering that Constantine's mouth was even more M-shaped than usual.

"Yes, thank you," he replied, in a tone that clearly spoke _And I don't want the question to be raised again_. "Show me today's entry in the daily planner," he ordered.

Artemis projected the glowing hologram of the planner. Only a meeting with the council, scheduled for noon. They were going to present some architectural plans for his approval.

"Fine. You are free until noon, then," he told Artemis.

"Sire?" Artemis asked, unbelieving.

"I said I won't be needing your services until noon. Just… go wherever you like." He made a dismissive gesture.

Artemis nodded and was gone. Constantine went up to the wide ceiling-high mirror of his room to make sure his appearance was as impeccable and composed as ever. It was. No traces of _her_ showed through his features. He was prepared to face the day, undauntable as he should be. He would just leave all that nonsense aside for the moment and focus on his royal duties.

Architectural plans, yes. He turned to the window to eye his city. Some new factory buildings, perhaps. And a larger landing field in the trading area, where ships dispatched their interplanetary cargoes. Everything else was right as it should be.

At that moment a slight red-clad figure flicked past his window. It was gone in half a second, but left Constantine stunned and motionless for another minute or two. When he regained his wits, he briefly wondered what his heart was doing beating in his throat. Then he tried to pick up his train of thoughts. He had been thinking something about… something.

He sighed. There was no way he could _not_ think about the princess when she was around. And even less when she wasn't around. A terrifying suspicion pierced him – what if she was going to leave again, without telling him? The fear caused by this thought shocked him even more than the thought itself. It reminded him of the time he had been standing next to the starlian, the beast's mighty wrath upon him and the feeling of helplessness paralyzing his every nerve. It had been the moment when, for the first time, Constantine had faced something far more powerful than himself, and the discovery hadn't been pleasant.

Princess Starlight, with her fragile frame and delicate hands, was hardly frightening. But his feelings for her were.

Constantine walked away from the window, brow knitted. He had to talk to her, if only to ask for how long she was planning to stay on Oppa-Irri. He checked the time again – there was plenty before the meeting started. He made up his mind and left the room.

* * *

Starlight entered the giant oyster shell of the castle's foyer. The foyer was empty except for a few droids flying about their business. As she crossed it, Artemis trotted past her with a cheerful expression on his facial display. She didn't have the time to think about it, for when she turned a corner she almost bumped into somebody.

"Uh, hello," she gulped, skidding to an abrupt halt.

"Princess Starlight. How delightful." Queen Leora's mouth broke into a smile. "Back from your training session, are you?"

"Yes," said Starlight, rather surprised that the queen was so well-informed of her habits.

"I was out for a breath of air, too. We can go back to the residential level together, if you don't mind."

"Sure," mumbled Starlight. She saw another endless talk looming ahead.

"Delightful." Queen Leora took the first step, heading toward the elevators. Starlight followed, gripping her hoverboard tightly. "I hear you are not going to compete this year?" the queen continued.

"No, not really," said Starlight. Then her curiosity got better of her. "How did you know?" She was sure she hadn't let it slip the previous night.

"Leo told me," laughed the queen. "He talks about you a lot."

"Does he?" said Starlight politely, stepping into the elevator after queen Leora.

"Which level?" asked an obliging mechanical voice.

Queen Leora answered and then said, "Yes, he does. I suppose you are good friends, aren't you?"

"Yes…" said Starlight rather questioningly.

Queen Leora fixed a stay curl of her chestnut hair, a troubled look on her face.

"Let me be frank with you, princess. I am very worried about my son. He has these… ideas which are not compatible with his position in life. He wouldn't listen to his mother, of course, those boys never would, but I am hoping that a good girl might talk some sense into him." She eyed Starlight expectantly.

"Oh, you want me to talk to Leo…" Starlight was slowly processing the message.

"Yes, and not only that." Queen Leora gave a silvery laugh. "I'm sure you will have more influence on him when you marry him."

"Marry? Me?" Starlight wasn't sure she'd heard it right.

"Yes, a prince and a princess, what can be more fitting? You two will look marvelous together. Don't tell me you weren't thinking about it yourself, you sly creature." Queen Leora smiled her honeyed smile which reminded Starlight of the sticky stuff they use on fly paper.

"Well, I…" Of course, she had briefly thought about the possibility, but she had always believed it took something more than just being a prince and a princess to marry each other.

"Don't blush, dear, you have our blessing, I assure you," the queen said, although Starlight was sure she wasn't blushing at all. "Just give Leo a nudge in the right direction next time you two are alone, and you'll have your happy ever after right away."

Now Starlight was positively flushing.

"I…"

But the doors slid open and queen Leora was already stepping out, smiling to her broadly. "Don't take too long, dear, I can't wait to celebrate your engagement to Leo."

With a casual bow she strode past the person standing in the hall, and Starlight's numb brain recognized Constantine being the person. Starlight hoped he hadn't heard anything, but his aghast expression told her very well that he had. When she caught his eye, he spun around and marched away, hands behind his back.

"Which level?" asked the elevator politely.

Starlight blinked and flung herself after the king, thankful to the stars that queen Leora was gone.

"King Constantine! Wait!"

She caught up with him and had to stand in his way to stop him.

"I… I…"

She had no idea what she was going to say, and inspiration didn't strike either.

"Princess Starlight." His brows shot up as if he saw her for the first time. "Good morning."

"Good… morning… I was… I… training outside and…"

"I see," he said to her hoverboard. "Well, if you don't mind, I am very busy."

And with his nose up in the air again, he made an attempt to go round her, but she waltzed him back.

"Queen Leora… There has been a misunderstanding…"

"There certainly has," he said, corners of his mouth curved downward.

"I…" she began, but he held up a hand in front of her.

"No explanation necessary. I regret any… improper behavior on my part. On our both parts, to be exact. But the error is completely mine. Now if you'll excuse me."

And he walked past her. She didn't find the words to stop him.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Uh-oh! Did you see that coming? I sort of hope you did. Queen Leora was there for a reason, after all! And I don't think her suit was even in the same area as Starlight's room, she just needed an excuse to stalk her.:D

PS: Whoops, I completely forgot that it's "elevator", not "lift". *sigh* Fixed that now!:D


	11. Aftermath

**Chapter 11** **–** **Aftermath**

After her unexpected fiasco, Starlight went to the only place she could think of – Sal-Lee's room.

Sal-Lee opened the door and raised her eyebrows. "Didn't think you even remembered me."

"What? Why?" Starlight recoiled in surprise. This was something very similar to what her dad had said.

"Dining with a prince and his parents, dancing with a king." Sal-Lee twitched her shoulder.

Starlight realized she and Sal-Lee hadn't exchanged a dozen phrases last night, because they had been sitting so far away from each other, and because the dance was so formal. Frankly, Starlight had been so careful not to betray her emotions that she had evaded all company last night.

"I'm sorry, Sal-Lee," she said, her shoulders sagging.

Sal-Lee's expression softened a bit. She eyed Starlight's hoverboard. "Anyway. Wanna go hoverboarding together?"

"Not really… I came, well…" She hugged herself with her free hand and looked away. "I don't know what to do."

Sal-Lee stepped aside, her eyes alight with concern. "Hey. Come in and tell me everything."

Sal-Lee's room was an exact copy of Starlight's. All guest rooms looked the same. With a few exceptions, perhaps.

"You can't imagine what's just happened to me," said Starlight mournfully when they sat on the sofa.

"You still have your arms and legs about you, so I suppose a hoverboarding accident is not the case," teased Sal-Lee. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

"I've just met queen Leora. That woman gives me creeps! She _asked_ me to marry Leo! Can you imagine that?"

The news had surprisingly little effect on Sal-Lee. If anything, her sympathy evaporated.

"Wow. The progress you made. Now she actually likes you enough to be her daughter-in-law."

Starlight almost lost her temper. "No, she doesn't! She only wants me to talk Leo out of becoming a full-time pilot! It's so... foul! How can you be so calm about it?"

"She does want you to marry her son," Sal-Lee shrugged. "Isn't that good enough for you? You can't expect more from her."

"But that's not the point! I don't want to marry Leo, I'm not even in love with him!"

Now Sal-Lee was stunned. She blinked quickly as if there was a speck of dust stuck in her lashes.

"You aren't? How's that possible?"

Starlight jerked her head a bit. Something very weird was going on.

"We're good friends, true. But we are not in love!"

"But you told me… Back on Lower Van-Tu…" Sal-Lee furrowed her brow. Starlight could positively imagine cogs and gears spinning in her mind. "Leo seemed to be the only option."

 _Oh no. No, no, no,_ Starlight thought. _I wasn't planning to tell her this!_

But slowly Sal-Lee was going through all the options, which were very few. Sooner or later she was bound to arrive at a conclusion. "You aren't into us girls, are you?" she said finally, suppressing a smile.

"Er, no."

"But who then?" wondered Sal-Lee, her brows drawn together again.

Unbelievably, her friend couldn't see the obvious. Starlight wished she could just laugh and get away with it. But she couldn't.

"It's… Constantine," she said, her voice barely more than a breath.

Sal-Lee could keep her face concerned and straight for just one second. The next she burst into gales of laughter, and it took her a long while to stop.

"You can't be serious!" she said, trying not to giggle. "The last time I heard you speak his name you told me he hated you! And I kinda assumed it was mutual. Care to update me?"

"He apologized," said Starlight plainly.

Sal-Lee stared at her. "And that's it?"

"He really meant it. And he… kissed me."

Sal-Lee covered her mouth to keep her laughter inside. Starlight wished to become invisible.

"I can't believe it!" Sal-Lee cried. "I thought he was more into robots than girls."

"Sal-Lee, you monster!" Starlight burst out laughing, too.

When they both finally sobered, Starlight continued, "But you don't know the worst part yet! When queen Leora was telling me how keen she was on me marrying Leo, he overheard her! And now he thinks I'm going to marry Leo! No, no, don't you laugh again, Sal-Lee!"

"Can't do!" smirked Sal-Lee. "Too many surprises!"

"But what am I going to do?"

"Depends on what you want to do, right?"

Starlight studied her knees thoroughly before answering.

"I'm not sure… I want to tell him the truth, but I don't know what the truth _is_."

"Ah, you are still not sure if it's love or what?"

Starlight desperately tried to focus and weave some logic out of her confused feelings. "I may be in love, but what good will it do? Even if he loves me too, – and I'm not sure about that either! – I'm not someone a king is supposed to be in love with. I'm nothing like this place, I don't think I can stay here for long. I need plants and animals, I need life!"

Sal-Lee was still listening, silent.

"And yet, I can't leave either." Starlight sighed.

"Take it easy," Sal-Lee finally said, serious. "Take one step at a time. First thing to decide: do you want to talk to him or not? Just to tell him you're not marrying Leo. He will find out sooner or later anyway."

Starlight shuddered. "You're right, Sal-Lee, I must talk to him. I can't let him believe that I kissed him back being engaged to someone else."

"So you did kiss him back!" Sal-Lee's violet eyes twinkled mischievously.

They laughed and giggled for a while, until they remembered it was high time they'd had breakfast. So they left the room to join the twins and Leo, who was totally oblivious of all the fuss he'd caused.

* * *

"There is a proposition to install a new telespire on top of the Trading Center building. It will enhance the Center's teleporting capacity by about a third."

The small councilor was pointing at the diagram with his stubby finger. Constantine studied the image, eyelids half-closed.

"Sounds splendid indeed," he drawled gravely, resisting the urge to prop his chin in his palm and sigh.

The councilor swallowed, mistaking the king's indifference for impending ire.

"Yes, your majesty. There is this… detail. As I'm sure you have already calculated, it will make the Center stand taller than the tallest tower of the Royal Palace. But only by twenty irrials."

Constantine waved a hand as if shooing away a fly. "Fine. What else?"

The councilor was taken aback. "Else? That was the final item in the agenda. You mean to say, you agree we should install the spire, sire?" He looked bewildered.

"Yes. Now if you are finished, the meeting is finished as well."

With some hesitation the councilor turned off the hologram. He had twelve more graphs, diagrams and charts prepared – he had estimated it would take at least half an hour to convince the sovereign. The outcome was most extraordinary and very puzzling. But neither he, nor Constantine himself could recognize the symptoms of a broken heart.

When all members of the council had filed out of the ballroom, Constantine stayed still and stiff for a moment, then sagged in his throne.

Princess Starlight was getting married. He should have seen all the signs! She had always been so friendly with that Kumaian prince, from the very beginning. Constantine recalled the first day of their training and the warm-up match between the two. At that time Constantine had been so annoyed with the girl that he willingly, if discretely, tried to trip her up. Now he wished he had let her beat the prince to a pulp instead. Doubtless, she and the prince had had plenty of time to become even more _friendly_ in the year since.

He stood up abruptly, his lips a hard line. What a fool he had made of himself! Kissing her, dancing with her! She had been probably laughing up her sleeve at him all the way! Constantine sighed. He knew she wouldn't. But he cringed nevertheless.

What was he to do now? _Avoid the invitation to their wedding at all costs_ , was his brain's prompt response. He would surely be expected to attend the event, two of his celebrated volunteers getting married. He could pretend to be sick. Or busy. Anything to evade the humiliation.

"Artemis!" he called.

"Sire?"

"Make sure no one disturbs me for the rest of the day. I wish to speak to no one, tell them I am busy. No requests, no messages, unless the place is on fire. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sire."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

So we have what we have here.:D Starlight is determined to talk to Constantine, and he's as determined to avoid it.:D

That's the end of the second part (yess, this time I enjoy making a pause at a sad point in the story). I will definitely need about a week to edit the last 6 chapters. As always, when you say in reviews that you are waiting for the rest of the story, it makes me drag my lazy feet to my PC and edit faster.:D


	12. Standstill

**Author's note:** Ouch, it's taking me so painfully long to edit the rest of the chapters (because I want to be sure I included everything I intended to. Not because they are hopeless the way they are now :D). And I keep procrastinating by drawing Constarlight fanart, which is not a bad thing, I suppose. But I wanted to upload something now, so that any readers present won't forget what is even going on in the story. And I daresay this chapter will provide some goings-on. :D

* * *

 **Chapter 12** **–** **Standstill**

For hours Starlight had been trying to see Constantine. Artemis persistently informed her that the king was busy, and after the third time he'd done that, she finally suspected it wasn't the case.

Her whole day went away in waiting and pacing, first through her room, then through the castle halls. She even had to turn down Leo's invitation to go flying about the city in his ship. The invitation wasn't exclusive, Sal-Lee and the twins were going as well, and Starlight couldn't help a grin as she thought how queen Leora would have been disappointed about the whole thing.

She was hoping to run into Constantine in the hall, but obviously he either didn't leave his quarters or relied on teleportation. She even went to the ballroom, faintly hoping she might find him there, but of course, the doors were firmly closed and locked.

In the evening her friends returned from their trip, and she was still none the wiser. They all had dinner together, and when Starlight returned to her room, she eyed her traveling bag thoughtfully. What if Constantine refused to see her for days… and weeks?

She sat down on her bed, and Pupcorn rubbed his nose against her arm.

"I know, Pupcorn. We must return home soon."

She lay back and closed her eyes, not willing to think of anything. When she blinked her eyes open again, the room was darker, lit only by a few nightlights and a colorful glow coming from the outside. Starlight got up and turned to the window.

"The stars! Of course! Pupcorn, I know what to do!"

She took a step then hesitated. "Do you think I have time to change?"

If Pupcorn could answer, he would have probably said, _Always have to be late, don't you?_ But it only took her a couple of minutes, and she was out in the hall again.

She easily found her way to the training area. The entrance was an arch leading into a spacious dark corridor, which ended with the stairs down to the training field and another stairs up to the bow-shaped balcony. As soon as she'd stepped into the corridor, she saw the winged figure standing on the balcony, merely a silhouette of black and cyan against the starry sky. She took great care to make as little noise as she could manage, while crossing the dim hull of the corridor lit only by glowing cyan stripes on its walls. Her boots, with their soft rubber soles, muffled her steps perfectly. She sneaked up the stairs and halted at the edge of the balcony. What was she going to say?

Constantine was standing straight, although his chest didn't seem to be as out as usual. His hands were clasped behind his back, his head level – it didn't look like he was watching the stars, rather the air directly in front of him. She noticed that there was enough room to his right for her to stand beside him.

 _Okay,_ Starlight thought. _One step at a time. Just tell him the plain truth._

She clasped her hands behind her back, too, and moved in.

"I'm not marring Leo," she said at once, not giving herself a chance to resort to stuttering again.

Constantine started but didn't turn his head. Standing next to him, Starlight was watching him out of the corner of her eye, although she couldn't see much behind those damned sleeves of his.

"Why?" he asked at last, his voice struggling to be blank.

Starlight chuckled nervously. "I never meant to. Queen Leora was _asking_ me to marry him and talk him out of becoming an adventurer. I don't think Leo is even aware of her plot."

He turned his head to her and now she could see his eyes, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other.

"How… peculiar of her."

"I'd say foul. How can she wish for Leo to be something he doesn't want to!" She realized she'd raised her voice. "Anyway, I just want you to know that I wasn't, um, engaging in improper behavior while… being engaged... that sort of thing…" she waded through the royal jargon helplessly.

* * *

For a while now, Constantine felt like the ground had been swept away from his feet. All the brooding of this day was cast aside by her words, leaving him in the void of uneasy uncertainty.

"It is… good to know," he managed to utter.

She smiled that shy disarming smile of hers and didn't say anything.

"Princess," he said, remembering the question he'd intended to ask in the first place. "I wanted to ask if you plan to stay on Oppa-Irri for... a while."

His heart sank as he saw the light in her eyes wane.

"I… can't stay long," she said. "But for a while, yes."

All of a sudden her hand flicked to his as if she wanted to hold it. Her fingers brushed against the inner side of his palm, the most sensitive spot of it, and shyly moved away. The gesture was perfectly innocent, yet shatteringly intimate. If she said anything now, Constantine wouldn't hear her above the pounding of his heart.

Luckily, she turned to the stars instead and hesitated before saying, "It's beautiful here. So close to the sky. I wish I had my hoverboard with me." He noticed that she was wearing her training suit, the pink identification light glowing on her chest.

Constantine coughed. "That can be arranged."

His fingers ran though the control panel on his arm, and Starlight's hoverboard appeared just before her feet.

"Whoa, I still can't get used to this. Thanks!"

"Do you need the training course as well?" Constantine asked.

"Thanks, I'm good!" she laughed. "I'll just fly to the stars."

She leaped onto the board and took to air, heading higher, toward the star-like central section in the steel frame of the dome.

Constantine didn't wish to stay one on one with his thoughts, so he summoned his own hovering platform and stepped onto it. He didn't fly after the princess but merely teleported himself high up, close to where she was.

She gave a start of surprise and smiled to him. "The best view of the galaxy," she said.

"Indeed," he said, forcing his lips into a smile and making sure his boots were secured to the platform by safety magnets. The height made him wary, though he would never admit it aloud.

* * *

Starlight hadn't expected Constantine to follow her. Why, she was the hoverboarder here, the air was _her_ element. If anything, she had been hoping to put some distance between them, in case her hand grew a mind of its own again.

And now they were here together, among the stars, and Oppa-Irri seemed so far away, as if there were no dome and no glass above them. Constantine wasn't towering over her anymore, here she could look him straight in the eye without feeling small and insignificant. She drifted closer to him to enjoy the feeling.

"Perhaps it is the best view in the whole universe," he said, and it took Starlight a while to realize that now she was so close that she was blocking pretty much everything else from his view. Yet she couldn't break their locked stare, her eyelashes trembling ever so slightly. Her hands slowly rose and softly stroke the air inches from Constantine's neck. He stood hypnotized, faintly leaning toward her as if she was pulling him. For just a fraction of a second his brown eyes reminded her of the purple eyes of the starlian, the one whom she'd lured into a trap, but before the thought could settle, her lips reached his and her arms twined around his neck.

She lost her balance but he caught her, swiftly curling his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Every cell of her body clang to him, magnetically, as if she suddenly became a two-dimensional spot of light. All air had escaped her lungs and her mouth was drinking oxygen from the surface of his lips. One of his hands ran along her spine up to her shoulder blade, and she wouldn't even be surprised if her back sprouted wings from his firm gentle touch. Her mouth was trying to make his lips dance to her rhythm, while his was consistently catching her, halting her, as if he was trying to hold her lips still with his. Her fingertips crept under the edge of his high collar, sliding along the tender unexposed skin beneath, hoping to ignite sparks similar to those prickling her own skin.

He groaned, barely audibly, and pushed her away, carefully putting her back onto her hoverboard.

"No," he said, panic and sadness in his gaze.

"Did I do something wrong?" she whispered, fear sipping through her halo. She was still clutching his arm for support, her fingers at his elbow, where the shell of his attire was the thinnest. He tried to gently pull away from her grasp.

"This was a mistake, princess," he said, his voice lacking its usual sharpness.

"What? Why?" she asked, her eyes searching his face for the answer. The loving touch of his lips still ghosted on hers. "I thought you… liked it."

His lips twitched. "Too much for my own good, princess Starlight. But at least one of us has to keep the ability to reason."

She realized she was preventing him from reaching his control panel. She let go of his arm.

"We both should go to our respective quarters now," he said. "Good night, princess. I hope to see you soon in more… proper circumstances."

And before she could speak again, she was standing in her room, her hoverboard floating next to her feet.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Oh my, what was that?! Didn't we all hope they would just kiss and make up, and live happily ever after? But no, Constantine had to ruin it! Thanks to him we have 5 more chapters ahead.:D


	13. Thoughts Unfolding

**Chapter 13** **– Thoughts Unfolding**

Constantine was sitting in his chamber, shoulders slack, spine bowed.

 _How could this day get even worse?_ was the thought that haunted him.

He had been so blinded by his longing to get close to princess Starlight that he had completely forgotten to conclude what this desirable proximity would imply.

He couldn't bring himself to mind her loosing balance and falling into his arms. He would have caught her anyway, even if she'd capsized his hovering platform upside down. He would have held her tight and wouldn't let go until she was safely back on the ground. It would please him to accentuate his superiority over an impetuous creature like her.

But when she'd kissed him, her lips so willingly parting before his, and her fingertips reaching the regions they had no conceivable right to intrude in – he'd been sorely tempted to transform the kiss into one less… modest. And giving in to such whims would bring no good for either of them.

She wouldn't stay. He knew why: she didn't belong here. What an irony. When he'd first met her, he had been sure she didn't belong to his world because she was chaotic, disobedient, and inferior. Now he knew she was just different. She didn't crave things he treasured – power, control, and being awed by others. She relished elusive matters like music, dancing, and beauty. Things he couldn't quite understand, couldn't control, and therefore held in contempt; but secretly was enthralled by.

She wouldn't stay. He had to deter his feelings for her, wipe them out like a speck of dust from his sleeve. A mean small voice in his head told him it was for the best that she should leave and never have a chance to become his queen. Deep down inside, he suspected she might prove an even better leader than he was. She was capable of compassion, mercy, even self-sacrifice. He'd never thought any of these qualities contributed to being a good leader – until she'd shown him otherwise.

He had to shut her out, the sooner the better. Before she left his heart wounded beyond all hope.

The thought nettled him.

 _Nonsense_ , he told himself. _I'll be fine when she's gone and things are back in their usual track. In the meantime I might as well enjoy her pleasant company, in a fully righteous way._

Constantine composed himself and stood upright before calling Artemis.

"I want a festive luncheon prepared for tomorrow, in the Grand Ballroom," he said in his haughty voice. "Have the sprites deliver all the usual invitations. And be prompt, time is of the essence."

Because she wouldn't stay.

* * *

Starlight lay sprawled on her bed, still dressed in her training suit.

"Pupcorn, I messed up again!" she said to her faithful companion, who was cuddled by her side. "I didn't mean to kiss him, but I did! And he didn't mean to kiss me back, but he did! And now he says I shouldn't have done it, but it was he who kissed me first, that time, wasn't he? Ugh!" She whirled around and buried her face in a cushion. "What am I to do _now_?"

Pupcorn gave her a sympathetic nudge on her hip with his nose.

"Uh, he's right, of course. You can't just go around kissing the king, can you?" she said, her voice muffled by the cushion.

Though, at this particular moment, she could think of nothing else. She sighed and propped herself on her elbows.

"He is right," she repeated, convincing herself. "What did he say? Proper circumstances, yes. Next time I see him, we'll just talk. It would be nice, wouldn't it? We hardly ever talked before."

This thought sobered her. They never talked much, and it seemed that all she knew about the king she'd discovered through her other senses, like she did with animals. Constantine was a strange bird, indeed. Talking to him would be a welcome change. She smiled to herself.

The door buzzed, and Starlight sat up. Who that might be? She went up to check and discovered two very ruffled sprites.

"Good night," said one.

"You are invited to the grand luncheon party tomorrow, in the Grand Ballroom, as usual," said the other, suppressing a yawn.

"You do know the difference between a dinner and a luncheon, don't you?" interrogated the first one.

"Um…" Starlight paused. "It has something to do with the number of courses?"

"No. A luncheon starts EARLIER. So don't be late." The pink-haired sprite stamped the invitation on Starlight's wrist, and both sprites made a U-turn back to where they came from. Starlight heard one of them say, indignantly, "Who does he think he is, making us work so late at night!"

The door shut closed. Starlight rubbed her wrist with an absent smile. Maybe the king thought talking would be nice, too. She perched on the small table, next to where a vase of flowers stood. She had always been only half-aware of the vase, almost suspecting the flowers were artificial, since they always looked the same. But somehow they were real. She raked her fingers through their petals, leaning closer to inhale the sweet scent that banished all worries from her mind.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Wow, the contrast between their moods! So far, this one was the most difficult chapter to write (number thirteen, eh?) because the characters seemed to be in a deadlock. But when I got to the point where Starlight was talking to Pupcorn, it got so much easier. I love Pupcorn, even if he does nothing significant in this story, his presence is so reassuring!

And, oh yes, great idea, Starlight! Talking to Constantine, that's bound to be nice and easy, what could possibly go wrong?:D


	14. The Walk

**Author's note:**

Here they are, the last 4 chapters!:3 I suggest you snuggle up in your comfy armchair with your favorite cup of tea/coffee/chocolate and leave all you troubles aside for the evening!:3

* * *

 **Chapter 14** **–** **The Walk**

"Whoa. This is _so_ not what I expected!" gasped Leo, as the five of them entered the Grand Ballroom.

The ballroom wasn't lit by its usual neutral light but by colorful disco lights instead. And the music! It was upbeat and lively. Most of the guests were already rocking to it, others pecking food at the hors d'oeuvre tables, which circled the dance-floor. The atmosphere was relaxed and easy-going.

"Isn't that…" started Sheena, "Artemis dancing over there?" finished Karina.

"Finally, a feast we all can enjoy," drawled Sal-Lee, suppressing a smile as she watched queen Leora nibble at something with a very sour face.

"Let's get this party started!" exclaimed Leo, moving on. The twins hopped after him. Sal-Lee stayed behind a bit.

"So everything _is_ fine, right?"

"Yeah," said Starlight as lightly as she could, not quite meeting her eye. "Don't worry."

"I'll take your word for it. For now."

And Sal-Lee strode after the others, shrewdly not waiting for Starlight to follow.

Starlight looked around. It was easy to spot Constantine, for he was still pretending to be mixing with his guests while trying to stay away from them. He wasn't on his throne, and that gave Starlight some confidence.

She made a detour to safely avoid any of Leo's parents and approached him sideways.

"Nice party," she said, mirroring his posture.

He glanced at her from behind his sleeve. "Thank you. I was hoping it would be more to your taste than the previous one."

"It really is!" She flashed a confident smile at him, glad that her hands were behind her back instead of hugging her elbows self-consciously. "Wanna dance?"

"Certainly not," he said, almost offended. "Not this outrageous kind of dance."

 _Yeah, that's almost what Leo said, too,_ mused Starlight. _So much for my hard work!_

She suddenly realized she wasn't half as nervous as she'd anticipated to be. She expected to be hurt by his chilly attitude, like she had always been. But she wasn't. Now that she knew he harbored some warm feelings behind the mask of indifference, his disdain lost its petrifying power over her. Talking was not that difficult.

"Okay, no dancing then," she said.

Constantine glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"You are free to go and enjoy the dance, though," he declared.

Starlight shrugged and stayed were she was. For a minute they just stood silent. She regarded the ballroom in search for something to inspire small talk, and her gaze suddenly focused on one of the huge vases. This was something she really wanted to ask!

"Those flowers," she said. "Where do they come from?"

Constantine blinked at her. "Oh. The flowers. They are grown specially for the castle's decoration, in a conservatory."

"Really? I thought they were imported from somewhere like Lower Van-Tu."

"No, not from that far," he said neutrally, and as neutrally added, "I can show you if you wish."

He raised his wrist, ready to summon the control panel. Apparently, he was eager to flee from the party. Starlight didn't mind fleeing with him, especially to a place full of flowers.

"I'd love that!" she smiled.

His fingers ran along the glowing keys, and Starlight was pulled into a chiming white flash of teleportation.

When the light faded back to normal, Starlight immediately knew she was inside one of the castle's towers, in the vast onion-shaped part of it, with fancy-framed glass for walls. All around her were plants and blossoming flowers, a sudden splash of color against the lifeless Oppa-Irrian architecture. Plants in neat long containers and huge pots covered every surface, floor and shelves, and even spread suspended in the air by some trick of gravity. At the other end of the conservatory Starlight could see a whole island of plants hanging in the air, closer to the sunlight streaming through the glass. The sight took her breath away.

There was a chiming sound and Constantine appeared next to her.

"It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed. "I never thought there was something like _this_ in your castle!"

Constantine frowned as if he couldn't decide whether to be flattered or offended. In the end, his brows made a dismissive gesture.

"Look at those!" cried Starlight dashing to one of the flowerbeds, one that held a bunch of small violet flowers. "We have them on Para-Den! And over there," she pointed, "Furryferns, we have them, too!"

* * *

Constantine watched princess Starlight flutter from one item of vegetation to another and yet another, chattering all the way and making high-pitched exited sounds, as if she found herself in a treasure cave. She was presenting him one plant after another, naming each one and adding a few details on where they usually grew. Constantine didn't care to remember any of them but it pleased him to see her that happy.

"It's amazing!" She turned to him, azure sparks dancing in her eyes. "How many species are there, overall?"

Constantine raised his eyebrows. "You can ask one of the droids tending to the conservatory."

"Oh, okay," she nodded.

"I don't frequent the place," added Constantine. "I am not sure the atmosphere here is healthy."

She starred at him, puzzled. "Why, doesn't it smell delicious?"

He twitched his nose. "Too much moisture and pollen in the air. Droids say it is deleterious and I'm inclined to agree."

"Maybe for them it is," laughed the princess. "Oh, look, Knightlights!" She pointed at a row of unremarkable green bulbs. "There are lots of them on Para-Den! They open up at night and glow in the dark."

She closed her eyes and hummed softly. One of the bulbs glided through the air toward her, she lifted up a hand and it landed in her palm – a rather ugly cone of a flower. Constantine didn't even know what for his conservatory had those. Princess Starlight looked up at him and held out the flower.

"Here," she said, putting it into his reluctant palm. "Plant it somewhere."

He wished he could just hurl it over his shoulder and wipe his hand. But he had a feeling it wouldn't get the conversation going. He pursed his lips. "Fine. Where shall I plant it?"

"Over there," she pointed at one of the pots with some free room in it.

Constantine perched the flower onto the soil and looked at the princess, quizzically. "Is that all?'

"Yeah, pretty much. It doesn't even need watering, it'll sprout some roots if it wants to, but most of the time they just feed on sunlight. On Para-Den they grow on tree trunks, branches, vines. Everywhere."

She fell silent, and he realized that their stare became dangerously locked again. Although their respective heights prevented their lips from accidentally drifting too close to each other, he still wished her silver dress made a better job of covering the upper part of her body.

She was the first to break the stare and look away, embarrassed. He cleared his throat, recalling what they were talking about.

"It wasn't half as distressing as I expected it to be. Planting that thing," he said, discreetly wiping his hand on the side of his clothing.

Her gaze fluttered back to him, her eyes holding a glint of humor. "They aren't carnivorous flowers, so yeah."

* * *

Starlight chuckled at Constantine's incredulous expression. He didn't even know that carnivorous plants existed, did he? Apparently, he didn't, but he was reluctant to voice his ignorance.

"Why don't we walk along the paths?" she suggested. The area closer to the glass walls was divided into smaller sections by a net of passages that looked cozy and mysterious under the arching plants.

"If you wish to," he complied.

It was hard to fall into step with his strides but she managed. She had to make sure her skirt wouldn't get caught up on a twig, so she moved farther from the border of the passage, closer to Constantine. They walked shoulder to shoulder in a silence that seemed companionable.

"It's so like my home planet!" she said, gazing around dreamily. "Except, perhaps, there isn't nearly as much noise. You see, on Para-Den there are always birds tweeting, insects chirping, Fay Frogs quacking, Girafflies roaring and purring… That sort of thing. I wish there were animals here, it would be exactly like Para-Den!" she exclaimed before she could think. When logic caught up with her, she shut her mouth, miserably.

It seemed Constantine failed to notice the change in her mood, although he was watching her, sidelong.

"Why," he said dryly, "if you want to see animals, you should visit my zoo instead, not the conservatory. Obviously."

"No, no, it's fine." She forced a wane smile, clutching her hands to her chest. "I'm not really that keen on zoos…"

She didn't want to vex him by letting him know how she abhorred the idea. So she kept watching her silver boots marching on the starry pattern of the floor.

Constantine kept silent for about a minute, then suddenly said, "Princess. Last year, why do you think I ordered your team to capture the starlian?"

"What? Why?"

She was so puzzled she stopped walking. Constantine stopped, too, and turned to face her. It suddenly occurred to her that what he was going to say wouldn't be pleasant, for he had usually faced her to tell her off for breaking his rules. At least, that's how things used to be.

"Because it couldn't have been done beforehand," he said, making every syllable sound very clear.

She quirked her eyebrows, still not grasping the implication. His expression softened and he turned away.

"I was well aware that a starlian cannot survive in captivity," he said.

"You knew?" she gasped.

"Of course. You are not the only one to know such things, princess," he said, a touch of irritation in his voice. "That is why there are no starlians in my zoo."

He went ahead, resuming their walk.

"Did you try to?.." asked Starlight, keeping up with him and feeling a tug of pain on her heart.

"No. But my grandparents did. I was too young to remember it, but I hear it wasn't nice."

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know."

All of a sudden the path ended and they faced the glass wall. Outside the day was at its peak, the city bathing in sunshine. Starlight couldn't help but wonder which of the fancy architectural structures of the city was the zoo. She pensively raised a hand and her fingers slid along the cold hard surface of the glass with a mournful low sound.

She was only half-conscious of Constantine watching her, until he said, "I may be proud of my zoo, princess, but rest assured, I don't keep there anything that can't survive there."

A wave of thankfulness washed over her. Did he really understand how she felt about captive animals? Did he try to comfort her?

Starlight looked up at him, feeling her gratitude lighting up her face.

"Thank you," she said.

* * *

When princess Starlight had suddenly stopped babbling about Fay Frogs and Girafflies, Constantine realized something was bothering her, and her reaction to his prodding remark about the zoo confirmed what exactly that something was. She didn't like the thought of creatures constrained in his zoo. And as she was walking next to him, head down, her beautiful eyes haunted by some clandestine sadness, he realized how she really felt in his castle – like an animal deprived of freedom.

He had been trying to hold her, to make her stay, again and again. And by some inner obligation she complied. But she couldn't stay. Like a starlian, she couldn't live in captivity. He had to let her go, once and for all. And he had to let her know that.

Feeling like he was wrenching his own heart out of his chest he said:

"I may be proud of my zoo, princess, but rest assured, I don't keep there anything that can't survive there."

* * *

 **Author's note:** This chapter is getting too long, isn't it?:D Shall we break it here? Yes! I was soooo looking forward to trying out this trick and now I have to savor the moment!:D Constantine's unwillingness to say things plainly and clearly had to backfire sooner or later!

For the record, if you look closely at the shot of the castle in the scene when Starlight is flying up to summon the starlian, there IS something green inside one of the towers. You can even spot something that I imagine to be the green island of floating plants.

I felt pretty silly coming up with all those names for plants and animals, but it would have been too weird to just leave them unnamed. :P


	15. Something From Nothing

**Chapter 15** **–** **Something From Nothing**

"Thank you," she said.

The words had barely escaped her mouth when she saw his face change. In a second it became drained of all life. His shoulders fell, his head hung low. Only once had she seen him so given up in despair, although that time she hadn't stopped to look closely.

With a quick frantic glance she looked around – half-expecting to see the stars dark and dead again. But everything was exactly as it had been a moment ago.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He didn't seem to hear. "Constantine?"

The sound of his name lacking the proper title shocked him back to life. He made an attempt to restore his rigorous posture.

"It is… It is good to know we understand each other," he managed, hopelessness still etched in his every feature – not just in his eyes and eyebrows, but the tightness of the skin under his eyes, in his sharp-cut cheekbones, in the lines clinging to the corners of his thin lips.

"Do we?" she asked, stunned.

"It is high time we returned to the luncheon party," he said, not meeting her eye.

"But…" She couldn't find any legible words to say, and as he lifted up his hand to reach the control panel, she made a motion to take him by the hand. He started back and clasped his hands behind him, then whirled around and strode away, back through the greenery pathway.

She wanted to rush after him but she still didn't know what to say. Her tongue tingled with _You have to tell me what's wrong!_ but her ears rang with _I am the king, I will not be told what to do!_ and she was paralyzed. Constantine's tall figure disappeared behind the foliage. Soon he would be far out of reach, and he would teleport himself and her back to the ballroom. And then there would be no talking to him anymore. He was going to clam up again, and she was too scared to stop him.

 _Everything comes from the heart. Courage._

She curled her fingers around her locket and darted after him, knowing that she was probably too late already and that anytime now she could vanish into a white flash.

But he was there, just behind a corner, standing frozen, starring at something in the labyrinth of leaves on the side of the pathway.

"Constantine?" she called. Despite her confusion, it felt oddly pleasant to omit his title and call him just like that.

"I…" He glanced at her, then back at that something in the leaves. "I found an animal."

* * *

When he saw her – so joyous, so exhilarated by his unspoken promise… So happy to leave him. He felt his whole world had been reduced to nothing. He'd been so used to being the center of his own universe, where everything revolved around his own authority, his wishes and his reasons, that he had never for a second imagined what it might feel like being a nothing in somebody else's universe. In _her_ universe.

He felt his lungs contracting as if they were trying to strangle his heart.

Oblivious to the damage she'd done, she called him by his name. He remembered the first time she'd done that, a year ago. Not to his face, but speaking of him in that mocking self-assured manner that promptly kindled his contempt for her.

This time she spoke softly, considerately – as if she could be considerate now, prodding at the shards of him! He tried to hold on to his former hatred, to summon up all the reasons why he used to resent her. But those feelings were no more than a flat hologram now, an image he couldn't quite make out.

"It is… It is good to know we understand each other," his voice said, without his conscious decision.

"Do we?" her voice echoed. He didn't see her face.

"It is high time we returned to the luncheon party," he said.

But she tried to grab his arm or, even worse, his hand, and he recoiled before he could think of a more dignified reaction. Somehow, the only thing that seemed vital now was to move away from her, the farther the better. So he turned around and hurried away.

The plants on either side of him were an emerald blur as he passed them. But suddenly a spot of turquoise blue caught his eye and he halted abruptly.

An ugly creature, something like a thick worm, was grazing on a wide leaf. Constantine shuddered with disgust. His initial impulse was to knock it down and stamp it out with his boot.

"Constantine?" called her voice, like a sea wave washing at his intention.

Acknowledge a plain fact was all he could do. "I… I found an animal."

* * *

"What?" Starlight moved closer, and was unable to suppress a smile when she saw a tubby green caterpillar munching on one of the leaves. It had a distinctive blue spot on its back. "Oh, look what we've got here," she coed to the caterpillar and prodded it gently with her finger. The caterpillar immediately curled into a ball, pretending it wasn't there at all. "Ashamed of grazing on this pretty leaf, are you now, you cute caterpillar?" She chuckled.

Constantine watched her, still stupefied. She left the caterpillar to itself and turned to him, not saying anything, but holding his gaze dauntlessly.

After a short while he frowned and spoke, "It is a pest. I must… It must be killed."

Starlight felt deadly chill enveloping her. "No," she whispered, searching his eyes for mercy. "Please, no."

He slowly moved his gaze from her face – and his hand toward the caterpillar.

She looked at the little creature. The lower part of everything she saw was blurred, her eyes were welling with tears. But she didn't look away. The caterpillar had barely decided to unfold, when the shadow of Constantine's hand made it curl again.

"Please," she breathed.

* * *

When princess Starlight reached for the caterpillar to fondle it as if it was the most beautiful thing in his kingdom, a fatal link formed in Constantine's mind. She may leave, and his heart may mourn the loss for however long it pleased, but here and now he had the power to restore order in his castle. He would crush this revolting pest like he should have crushed his feelings long ago, before it had become too late.

"No," said the princess in a weak voice, her eyes fearful. "Please, no."

He looked away from her face, gloat and pain mingling in his mind. He watched the creature, its bristly back and ghastly mandibles. A slight knock with his nails was all it would take, he wouldn't even have to touch it. His hand hovered inches from it.

"Please," begged the princess.

He was determined to ignore her, but his hand refused to move. Clear as a child's tear he realized that should he do that, she would never ever forgive him. He didn't want to care whether she forgave him or not. Why would he care about such trifles. Especially now. But his whole body became stiff as a plastic dummy and he couldn't move a muscle.

* * *

Starlight held her breath until Constantine's fingers barely brushed against the hairs on the caterpillar's back and moved away.

"Worry not, princess," he said quietly. "I can't."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he flicked up a hand.

"It will eat away this leaf. And another. It will reproduce and the swarm of them will eat more and more, until there is nothing left of this place. But I can't kill it. I hope it makes you happy," he finished with an edge of bitterness in his voice.

Her knees were still weak with relief. "Thank you! Oh, thank you!" And she hastily hugged him, her arms trying to convey her gratefulness, her ear pressing to his chest for a brief second. She bashfully pulled away almost at once, not giving him a chance to push her off.

She smiled with all the warmth she had. "It won't destroy all the plants. It won't even destroy one plant before it turns into a butterfly."

"A butterfly?" asked Constantine, bewildered. "But there are no butterflies here!"

"Not yet. But soon there will be some."

Constantine bit his lower lip. "Wouldn't _they_ eat away all the plants?"

Starlight gave a laugh. "No! They don't feed on leaves! They feed on nectar and pollen, and they help pollenate flowers. More plants will grow, and caterpillars won't do much damage at all!"

Constantine composed his countenance and posture in his usual fashion. "You seem to know a lot about flora and fauna," he said neutrally, but she could hear a trace of respect hidden in his voice.

"Yeah, I guess so…" she said, rubbing her elbow. Then she glanced up and ventured, "You know, I think about working with animals. And plants. I may eventually become a warden on Para-Den, like my father, but now I'm thinking about studying animals on bigger scale, on different planets. And above all, I want to help people connect with them. Something like that."

"A very honorable goal indeed, princess Starlight. A goal I am sure you can achieve." His face darkened. "I suppose you will be leaving soon, won't you?"

The sorrowful shadow that crossed his face was so familiar that she gasped. "You don't want me to leave? Is that… Is that why you?.." She was unable to even understand what she wanted to say, almost as if she'd lost all ability to think and was relying on wordless feelings instead.

His eyes widened with something akin to fear. Then he sighed. "Of course I don't want you to leave. I would like you to stay. I told you so."

Starlight racked her brain. "No, you didn't. Not even once. For all I remember, you said it's the people who would love to see me here."

"Well… What does it matter? I cannot order you to stay, can I?" he said, irritably. He didn't let her study his face for long, he turned away and resumed walking. At least, now he didn't outright flee. She promptly followed.

"No, but… You could have asked," she said.

He didn't turn his head when he replied, as if he was talking to the plants instead. "Princess. I want you to stay because nothing would please me more than to call you my queen. But you have just told me what you want to do, and I am not going to interfere with your plans."

Starlight stopped momentarily.

"You… A queen? Me?" The floor was unmistakably spinning beneath her feet. She had to make a whale of an effort to steady it and continue walking. "Constantine." It was so tempting to forget the title, even for one last time. "I've never felt anything like… like what I feel for you." She was glad he didn't look at her, it was easier to speak to the wall of his sleeve. "But who am I to even think of becoming a queen? I can hardly be a decent princess! A queen must know a lot of things and I've barely managed to learn all the forks and spoons at your table! And a queen must follow thousands of rules and protocols, mustn't she? And I'm always late for everything. I'm not the perfect hero everyone thinks I am. I'm just a girl from the edge of the galaxy."

He didn't even hold up a hand to stop her babbling. While she had been speaking, the path had ended and they stood at the base of a stairs formed by round hovering platforms. The stairs lead to the floating isle of green, and as it wasn't their intention to climb up there, they stopped at the base.

"Yes, that is all true," said Constantine. "You are undoubtedly irrational, undisciplined, and impulsive." Seeing her lower her shoulders in silent agreement, he smiled a frail smile. "Yet, since I am amply rational, prudent, and sensible, it is possible that I have enough of these qualities already and have no need to seek them in a queen."

Despite herself, she felt the muscles of her cheeks tense, although she wasn't sure if it didn't look like someone invisible was pinching her skin into a smile.

Constantine's ghost of a smile faded into a flat expression when he said, "However, it is all of little significance, isn't it? I can't make you change your mind about what you want to pursue in life. And I'd rather not try."

Her heart gave a leap, and she didn't fully see why. It had something to do with Constantine acknowledging that there were things beyond his control. But it wasn't the only reason. Irrationally, his words made her wish she could stay.

"I wish I could split myself in two," said Starlight with mirthless humor. "One half would go after my aspirations and the other would stick around here doing nothing but being a proper queen." She immediately regretted saying it, noticing Constantine's pained expression. "I'm sorry," she amended as soon as she could. "I didn't mean to put it like this. I just… I can't be the queen whose only job is just to stand there looking cute."

He didn't say anything, and his silence sapped at her energy. She went up to the side of the stairs and sat on the platform that roughly matched the height of a chair.

Constantine didn't suggest returning to the ballroom. Probably, he wanted to face his guests now no more than she did. Instead, he approached the stairs from the other side and sat on the same platform, too. They sat so close to each other that their backs almost touched, and yet they were facing completely opposite directions.

"To be frank," Constantine said at last, "I don't even remember what the queen's responsibilities are. I would have to check the records. I recall my mother being in charge of all the festivities at the castle, but I don't remember whether it was her duty or something she simply liked doing. I didn't pay much attention to what she busied herself with." He paused. "I wish I did."

Starlight's hand clenched her locket with a hurtful force. She had no similar regrets about her own mother, but she understood how Constantine must have felt.

"I hope she liked it," said Starlight. "What is even the point of being royalty if you can't do what you like."

This seemed to nettle him.

"It is about responsibility and being at your best," dismissed Constantine. "Being the best of the best and enjoying it."

'Do you?'

She thought she could feel his shoulders sag, although she couldn't be sure.

"No, at the moment, I don't," he finally conceded.

"See," was all she could say.

"But I am the king! I make the rules, I ensure the kingdom's prosperity! I…" He fell silent abruptly.

Starlight waited for a long moment, then turned to look at him. And discovered that he, too, was looking at her over his sleeve, as if he'd just found her sitting there.

"I make the rules," he emphasized, his voice amazed. "Princess…" He swallowed something. Most probably, his pride. "What if the queen had the freedom to choose her own responsibilities? She could choose to become the Minister of Environmental Affairs, and I wouldn't at all mind her being absent for a while, now and then."

Starlight felt a dizzying mixture of excitement and fright. "You really mean it? You could tolerate someone like _me_ as your queen?" She knew she wasn't that bad, but she couldn't imagine being up to Constantine's standards. "Mind you, I'm still not sure about some of those spoons."

He smiled, and from that angle his face looked exactly like it looked the year before when he'd said, _You and I are very different, Barbie. But that might not be all bad_.

This time he said, "I wouldn't want to tolerate anyone but you."

She smiled back. "Then I would say… I would say…" Her fingers stroke her cheek nervously and she averted her eyes. This was a lot to take in. It was one thing being a humble animal researcher, and completely another to become someone in charge of the "environmental affairs" of the whole kingdom! It even _sounded_ scary. Would she be able to handle the responsibility?

 _Everything comes from the heart. Leadership._

She looked up, holding his gaze.

"Yes."

Constantine's tense expression turned into one of mixed joy and fear. He reminded her of a baby Ava-Grun who hasn't quite learned how to fly.

"Yes?" he echoed. "Yes… Then, I suppose, I should ask it properly."

He rose and walked over to her. She stood up, too, not sure what she should do if he decided to stand on one knee before her, the way she saw it done in fairy-tales. But the proud king did no such thing. Instead he placed his hands on both sides of her waist, lifted her up and put her onto one of the hovering platforms, so that she was exactly his height.

"Princess Starlight..." he began, then stopped with a demure smile. "Barbie of Para-Den. Will you do me the honor of becoming my queen?"

It didn't escape her that his hands were still on her waist. So she put hers between his neck and shoulders.

"Yes, I will," she beamed. He beamed back, and neither of them knew what they should do now.

"Shall we," started Constantine with a glance at his left arm, "go back before our absence becomes too obvious?"

"Okay," she nodded, then added with a coy smile, "But you owe me something you broke."

He knitted his brows and stood puzzled – until she leaned over and kissed him.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Halp! I feel diabetes creep up on me with all that sugar around! But am I happy that these two finally sorted things out! And no, I'm not going to give you a detailed description of the kiss mentioned above. C'mon, let them have some privacy, they earned it!

We'll need just two more chapters to cherry this cake. One to solve whatever conflicts are still hanging in the air, and another for Starlight and Constantine to have some quality time. Remember that this is merely a T-rated story, so don't set your smutty hopes high.:D))

Or and by the way, this whole caterpillar to butterfly metaphor might seem a bit old, but I didn't plan it at all, I even forgot that caterpillars were supposed to turn into butterflies when I started writing that scene. So I was very sincere writing Constantine's bitter lines.


	16. Matters To Settle

**Chapter 16** **–** **Matters To Settle**

A couple of minutes later they emerged in the ballroom, next to one of the huge vases, and Starlight promptly untwined her fingers from Constantine's. Everybody around seemed to be having fun in the casual relaxed way of a party that'd been up long enough to smoothen any tension between the guests.

"Let's dance?" she asked with a secretive smile, her lips still plump from his kisses.

Constantine raised a corner of his mouth. "We might, later. For now, I'd like to show you a prime example of royal entertainment. Follow me, if you please."

Curious, she followed.

Constantine approached the table where the royal couple from Kumai were sitting lulled by boredom. King Leonard was passively exchanging nothings with his neighbor, a lady with dark skin and pink hair in a stylish bob, while queen Leora was glaring at the dance-floor, where Leo was dancing with Sal-Lee.

"Queen Leora. I hope you are enjoying our little luncheon," said Constantine with an ominous smile.

The queen turned around and her features livened up a bit, especially when she saw Starlight accompanying him.

"Thank you, king Constantine, it's been very..."

"I am immensely happy to hear that," Constantine cut in, nodding as though she'd just vividly praised the event. "Such a pity you are leaving soon, we could have more of these events arranged to your content."

The queen opened her mouth but Constantine was quicker. "In the meantime, princess Starlight has told me how commendably concerned you are about her matrimonial plans, and I am sure you will be pleased to hear the news of her engagement."

"Oh, what a surprise! How delightful!" the queen purred, not at all surprised.

Starlight was trying to keep a straight face, but it insisted on wearing a broad idiotic smile, which queen Leora mirrored without hesitation. Starlight expected Constantine to immediately deliver the blow but he took his time and kept silent, his expression of polite indifference.

"I can't believe Leo hasn't told me yet,' the queen chided half-heartedly, eyeing Starlight as if evaluating a newly acquired item of property.

"I don't believe your son is aware of the fact, as of yet," drawled Constantine. Queen Leora only had the time to blink before he continued. "But it doesn't pose a problem, does it? Things can be planned ahead without his consent."

"Um…" For once the queen didn't quite know what to say. She glanced at her husband, as if expecting some support from his side, but he was now talking quite animatedly to his neighbor, amazingly unaware of the conversation taking place just above his ear. Suddenly Starlight realized he was simply leaving his wife to her plotting and its consequences.

"We will have the official announcement soon, of course," added Constantine.

"That's… That's delightful," said the queen, still puzzled. "We'll need to think of all the arrangements, the celebration…"

"Oh, don't worry," Constantine held up a hand. "I can plan it all with the highest standards in mind. And I am sure my bride will contribute some invaluable ideas as well."

"Oh, your bride? Are you finally getting married, too?" Queen Leora nearly choked letting the word "finally" slip in, for she obviously only intended to think it.

Constantine nodded, unruffled. "Yes, since it is me who princess Starlight is engaged to, I suppose you can say so."

Starlight had to give her credit – the queen only froze for a moment, then glanced at Starlight with her brows raised, and pursed her lips.

"I see," she said. "Well, I am sure you'll do just fine with her invaluable help. Like you always do, king Constantine." She smiled to show him her teeth.

Starlight only understood what had been said when she saw Constantine's jaw tighten. _Oh no_ , she thought, _she alludes to me saving the galaxy!_

Starlight swiftly stepped forward and took Constantine by the hand, boldly holding the queen's gaze.

"Yeah, I'm sure we complement each other in our strengths," she said. "That's why we were able to save the galaxy, after all."

Queen Leora narrowed her eyes at her and said nothing. A very cheerful king Leonard emerged from behind the queen's back. "Congratulations!" he exclaimed.

"Thank you." Constantine deigned him with a brief nod. "We will send you the invitations, of course."

"Never for a second I doubt it!" he laughed. "We make for a very pleasant couple of guests, don't we, darling?" Queen Leora's gaze burned through him.

'Yes, now if you'll excuse us.' With a dismissive gesture Constantine turned to leave, and Starlight couldn't have been more keen to follow his example, what with queen Leora's stare still piercing her.

"That was a show! And I thought you royalties didn't know how to have fun!" Starlight burst out laughing, desperately hoping she wasn't snorting as well.

They took quite a few steps through the scattered crowd before Constantine, somewhat reluctantly, pulled his hand away from hers.

"We must maintain proper appearances before the official announcement," he explained.

"Sure," she said, hoping it wasn't improper to at least look at each other the way they did now, with that dazed absent-minded airy gaze. She blinked and smiled slyly. "By the way, since you are so particular about propriety, are you going to ask my father for my hand? He's been so fussy about me being all grown-up and stuff."

Constantine's eyes widened with horror. "Ask? I? I don't have to ask!.." He looked around realizing he'd raised his voice. "Oh, fine, I presume it's a proper thing to do," he said with a sour face. "But he'd better say yes.'

Starlight chuckled and turned her attention to the dance-floor where her friends were having a good time.

"You go," said Constantine, as if he was already testing his capability of letting her go.

She looked into his eyes lovingly and nodded. "See you soon."

She wished she could kiss him, at least a peck on his cheek, but of course she couldn't, and not only because of his height. So she waved him good bye and walked over to where her friends were dancing and chatting.

The twins were the first to notice her. "OH MY STARS!" cried Sheena and Karina. "Here she comes!"

"Hi!" said Starlight, wondering what the fuss was about. All four of them surrounded her.

Sal-Lee smiled smugly, "Here comes the queen."

Starlight's jaw dropped. "How did you know? It's impossible!"

"Jackie-Lou told us," said Leo with a grin and a sideways jerk of his thumb. In the crowd, Starlight saw the dark-skinned pink-bobbed lady who'd been talking to king Leonard.

"Whoa, and I hoped to surprise you…" Starlight smiled self-cautiously.

"You sure did!" gasped Leo, then winked at her.

"Yeah…" She made an effort to not rub her elbow. "By the way, I think it's time you spoke to your parents, Leo. At the moment they might even accept your point. Don't ask me why."

"Well, I suppose I should…" mumbled Leo.

The twins encircled him. "Have courage, Leo," they cooed in unison. "We'll cheer for you!"

Sal-Lee put her hands on her hips. "And escort him to the spot, will you?"

Leo raised his hands. "Okay, okay, I'll go willingly!" And he marched away with the twins as his attendants.

Starlight turned to Sal-Lee just in time to see her friend watching Leo go with a half-smile and a warm gaze. That gaze looked somewhat familiar now.

"Don't you want to tell me something as well?" asked Starlight, grinning, as they moved closer to the edge of the dance-floor, out of the way of people dancing.

"What?" Sal-Lee was grinning, too.

"You like Leo, don't you?"

"I might, just a bit." Sal-Lee shrugged, half a smile still on her lips.

"And you thought I was in love with him…" Starlight frowned and it dawned on her. "You were giving him the cold shoulder since our trip to Lower Van-Tu! Right until I told you I weren't in love with him!"

Sal-Lee shrugged again, then stepped over to the nearest buffet table and took a glass of juice.

"I was just steering clear," she said, her violet eyes surveying the glass. "Last year I didn't have any friends, only fellow competitors. I remember the feeling too well. I don't want to lose any of you now."

"Oh, Sal-Lee!" Starlight didn't know what to say. She wanted to give her a hug – if it wasn't for the glass Sal-Lee was still holding without the slightest intention to drink from it. "You are the best friend I can wish for, and you deserve to be happy!"

She took the glass from her hand and put in back onto the table before hugging her.

"Whoa, it's good your hug isn't as tight as your handshake!" laughed Sal-Lee.

"Oh, you still remember that," said Starlight, pulling away, smiling.

"You bet!"

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. Leo announced that he was, miraculously, allowed to work as a pilot for a year, then had to resume his studies, and if all went well, could have some more working years, on condition that he didn't neglect his royal duties as the heir to the throne.

When they were filing out of the ballroom, Starlight fell behind to see if she could spot Constantine in the crowd. But he was gone. Just when she was about to follow her friends, another tall thin figure caught up with her and Starlight started as she faced queen Leora once again.

The queen appreciated her reaction and smiled in an ostensibly friendly manner.

"Too bad I didn't realize you were aiming higher, dear," she said. "Would have saved me some time and effort."

Starlight squared her shoulders. "It serves you right. You shouldn't plot behind Leo's back."

Her words were like water off an Ava Grun's back, of course. The queen twitched her velvet clad shoulders. "Somebody in this family has to think about the future. And my dear husband is too averse to the idea of retirement to take things seriously."

That Starlight could believe. She wondered if king Leonard ever took anything seriously.

"Well, it's good you and Leo found a compromise," she said, then added defensively, "And I wasn't aiming at anything, I..."

She bit her tongue. It wouldn't do being too frank with someone like queen Leora, would it?

The queen gave a silvery laugh. "Oh, wouldn't I know! Those kings can be too charming for a girl's heart, can't they?" And her sneering expression evolved into a wide warm smile. "Don't worry, dear, I understand."

And with her royal dignity she turned around and walked away, following her husband, who'd disappeared through the doors earlier.

* * *

Later in the evening, when Starlight was back in her room and had changed out of her dress, she remembered her light-hearted request.

 _Oh no!_ she thought. _My dad is going to be freaked out of this world if Constantine calls him now! I must tell him first!_

So she briefly checked the time on Para-Den and called her father. He was just having his lunch, the green salad made by their home droid.

"Hi, Dad! Enjoy you meal!"

"Thanks, little Starlight! How are you?"

"Oh, good, great, really!.." Her smile became quite fixed. "You?"

He moved the bowl aside. "I've been sound and serene up until now. Now tell me what happened."

Starlight gulped. How in the galaxy do you pass this kind of news to your father?

"Um, it's nothing serious," she almost choke on her word choice and started speaking faster. "I mean it's nothing bad! It's great news, actually! You see, I wasn't sure at first if it could ever work, cause we are so different and stuff, but now I am, and I'm sure Mom would have said..."

"Whoa, take a breath!" he said, raising his hands and almost tipping his bowl. Suddenly his gaze became unfocused. "And I've got another incoming call here... So just hang in there and gather your thoughts, okay?"

"What? Dad, no!" But she was too late to say that. The screen already wore an uncompromising YOUR CALL IS PAUSED.

She didn't know how many minutes passed, it felt like hours. She paced in circles along the sofa, and she was sure the floor under her feet became ever more recessed by the time the screen came alive again.

Her dad stared at her, bewildered, his hand absent-mindedly feeding him spoons of salad.

"It was the king," he said.

"Yes?" squeaked Starlight. "And what did he tell you?"

"He asked me if I don't mind if he promoted you from princess to queen," he said, unblinkingly.

Starlight shut her eyes tightly as if expecting to fall from a hoverboard. "And what did you say?"

"I said I don't understand what the quasar he's talking about. Well, maybe I didn't put it that way, but he caught my drift – he said that he wants you to marry him!" The bowl fell down and bounced off the floor with a pounding sound. The droid rushed to clean the mess.

"Correction, Dad! It's a mutual decision. It's not like he wants it and I don't!"

Her dad seemed completely at a loss. "But Starlight, you are so young! You can't marry the first guy who asks you to marry him! Even if he's king!"

"Why not? Do I have to leave a trail of broken-hearted suitors before I'm allowed to marry?" she asked sarcastically. "Dad, I really want this. And _not_ because he's king, thank you. So why not?"

"Well, it's obvious! Because I don't want to see you all grown up and gone for good from Para-Den to somewhere far away where I can't protect you. Because I'm gonna miss you. And because I'm an old selfish bore who can't stand the thought of his daughter leaving him."

Starlight chuckled. "Now who's babbling?"

Her dad sighed. "So you do want to marry him?"

"Yes! That's what I've been telling you. Don't worry, I won't forget my way to Para-Den. And I'll visit you often! And… Wait, what exactly did you tell him when he asked you, then?" She was hit by a chilling suspicion that he might have had a quarrel with Constantine already.

Her dad glanced at the ceiling, a half-smile on his lips. "I told him he should ask you, not me, since it's not me he's asking to marry. Something like that. Or exactly like that."

"Dad!" Starlight laughed, horrified.

"I acted like the responsible parent who respects his daughter's opinion, didn't I? And I told him the plain truth – it is your decision."

"So…"

"So yes, you can marry the king, if that's your heart's desire. It's frustrating I can't even dismiss him as someone not good enough for my precious little Starlight."

* * *

When their conversation was finished and the screen faded back to its glassy transparency, Starlight sank in the sofa.

 _Phew! That was some talk!_ she thought.

She lifted herself up and traipsed to the bed. There she lay imagining her feet dangling over the emerald Para-Den forests, instead of inches above the floor.

 _Did I make the right choice?_

The thought was gnawing at her. It seemed she'd used up her own conviction to convince her father. What-ifs were back, their teeth sharper this time. What if their relationship would not work? It's not like you could say, "Okay, we tried but it doesn't seem to work, so we better split up" to a king. What if she wasn't the right person for the role she'd agreed to take? What if they were just not meant for each other?

As this last one nipped at her, she couldn't help a sniff. Talk about fate when a pompous prophecy hadn't even specified who was to save the stars! Fate might exist, but there was no way to find out what it held and what it didn't. Well, actually, there was just one way. Go for it and hope for the best.

 _Everything comes from the heart. Hope._

Starlight crossed her hands on her mother's locket.

"I can't know if my choice is right," she whispered. "I can only hope. But it's my choice and I'm gonna follow it with all my heart."

She let the feeling settle in her mind and sat up. She looked around to make sure the gown she'd changed from and other items of clothing were in the closet, not scattered all around her room, and asked the screen if she could call king Constantine. After verifying her identity, the screen put her call through – apparently, she was in the list of people who were allowed to use his private communication channel.

Constantine appeared sitting still before the camera as if posing for a portrait. His room in the background was as impeccable as it was impersonal.

"Hi!" she said. "I just spoke to dad, and he told me… He told me he doesn't mind if I marry you. He said it's such a great honor!" she added, deciding that a white lie wouldn't hurt. And it was actually true, her dad certainly seemed to think of it as an honor. For Constantine.

Constantine regarded her with his eyebrows raised, but the more he looked at her the warmer his gaze became.

"Anyway," Starlight continued, "I was wondering, you're busy now?"

"Not really. No. Why?"

"Because I miss you already, that's why," she grinned, and the look he gave her wrapped around her like a soft warm blanket. "I have a plan, sort of. Why don't we meet in the park in, say, twenty minutes?"

"I'd say that's feasible," he replied. "Just what exactly are you up to?"

"That's a surprise. You'll see." She gave him a teasing smile and switched the screen off.

After thinking briefly, she called someone else.

"Hey, Leo, have a minute? I could use your help here."


	17. Under the Stars

**Chapter 17 – Under the Stars**

Half an hour later Starlight, in her red hoverboarding attire, showed up at the park to find Constantine slowly pacing among the bushes and stone cubes. Rosy golden rays of the setting sun added colorful strokes to his gray attire and dark hair. He turned to greet her and eyed suspiciously the two objects she was carrying. One was her guitar in its case. The other was a rather large plastic basket.

"What's this?" he asked, curious.

"Surprise!" she sang. "That's a picnic basket!"

"A picnic basket?" he said doubtfully.

"Yeah, you know, when you want to have lunch outside, and you gather up some snacks and…" Then it dawned on her. "You've never had a picnic, have you?"

"No. Why would I want to have lunch _outside_? That's ridiculous."

"Well, you can hang out with friends, and roll on the grass, and tell silly stories…"

He regarded her like she was one very strange creature.

"Well, forget the rolling on the grass part," she giggled. "My point is, it's fun. And I've never even seen you eat anything, let alone having fun doing it."

"Okay," he said blankly, and she was pretty sure he'd picked the word from her. "How do we do it, then?"

"First, we should find a nice spot to set up.'

"A bench?" Constantine contributed.

"Yes, a bench will have to do."

Since there were no lawns, it was the only option. They found a bench (that was really no different from all the others) and Starlight spread a small cloth onto it, then sat down next to the cloth and took out some food from the basket, along with plates, glasses, and napkins.

"It's mostly sandwiches, pastry, and fruit," she said. "I consulted our team's food whizz to pick just the right things for a picnic."

Constantine perched on the other side of the improvised table and examined the items.

"Aren't you hungry?" Starlight asked. "Frankly, I didn't have a chance to have a proper dinner today, what with all excitement and stuff."

"Ravenous," admitted Constantine, still not touching the food.

"So let's tuck away!" She unwrapped a huge sandwich and bit into it. "Uh, dewifoush!" she mumbled through it. "Delicious," she clarified after she'd chewed up the bit and gulped it down.

Constantine looked at her as if she'd just done a triple flip in the air and was expecting him to do the same.

"Um, I'm not sure it is becoming of the king to eat publicly," he said. "It's… bad manners, I suppose."

"Are you kidding?" she stared at him. "After a whole day of starving you refuse to eat anything just because we are... er, in public? What's so public about this place, no one ever comes here."

Constantine sighed and carefully picked a sandwich. "It's more of a habit. I'm not used to eating with people around. It makes one look ridiculous."

"Not at all!" reassured Starlight, spilling bits of salad all over her knees. "Well, maybe just a bit. But that's the fun of it! C'mon, you have to try. If Leo were here, he would have swallowed it all in a gulp!"

The mere mention of the Kumaian prince filled Constantine with grave resolute. He unwrapped the sandwich and took a careful bite.

"Well?" asked Starlight, unable to tell anything by his thoughtful expression.

"It's a bit dry," was his verdict.

"I have some ketchup here." She checked the basket. "Uh, no, I forgot it. I only have my ketchucream. My invention. And no one likes it, except me."

"Not even Leo?" asked Constantine, his brows slowly raising.

"Leo would eat anything that's edible. But he's not that keen on ketchucream."

"I would like to try it."

She handed him the small jar. Its contents looked depressingly like ice cream with strawberry jam.

Constantine took a spoon and dabbed some ketchucream onto his sandwich. Starlight had a feeling he was doing it just because Leo wouldn't. He took a bite and meticulously chewed through it.

"Why, it's delicious!" he exclaimed, utterly amazed.

"Do you really like it?" Starlight was dumbfounded.

"Yes! It makes this sandwich so much better! Here, have some." He pushed the jar toward her.

Starlight suppressed a chuckle and focused on her own snacks. Sandwiches were soon gone, followed by some cupcakes and fruit, and washed down by orange juice.

* * *

By the time they had finished with the food, the sun had set and the stars were bright again. Starlight looked up, feeling as if the darkening ground lost its power over her and now the stars were her guides.

"You know, every time I look at the stars, I want to be closer to them," she said pensively.

"No wonder," said the king softly. "You were the one to save them, after all." For the first time there was no bitter edge in his voice when he mentioned the fact. "I have an idea." He stood up and stretched out a hand to her. She took it and stood up, too.

Extremely curious, she followed as he led her to the tallest heap of stone cubes. It was about twice her height tall. Constantine pressed a button on his sleeve and Starlight was teleported to the top of the heap.

"Whoa!" she gasped.

Constantine emerged next to her. "Is the view to your heart's content, princess?" he asked.

"It certainly is."

She sat down, feet hanging in the air. It was like sitting on the top of a mountain.

Constantine accepted her silent invitation and settled himself next to her. She leaned toward him and he promptly wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Um, I could have used that sleeve as a pillow if it wasn't as hard as concrete," said Starlight, and he pulled her even closer, so that her head was leaning against his chest instead. "Yep, that's better," she lied, for now her spine was carrying all her weight. She knew she'd have to shift her pose again soon. "So how'd you like the picnic?"

"It exceeded my expectations," he said, and she felt his breath unintentionally brush her hairs just above her forehead. She turned her body and her head so that she was facing him now, his other arm supporting her shoulders. She was almost lying in his lap, hoping for a kiss. He took his time starring into her eyes, as if there was something particularly interesting about them, then gently touched her lips with his. She rather felt then saw that he was smiling now.

"What?" she asked, grinning.

"It's nothing, I just remembered the night we met."

"Oh, the one when you were instantly swept away by my charm?" she mocked.

"I'd rather say, annoyed beyond all merits with your persistence in breaking my rules."

Starlight chuckled. If love at the first sight existed… well, this wasn't it.

"And I was so annoyed by all your stupid rules," she said lightly. "But I don't remember ever being annoyed with you. Not much anyway."

This confession earned her another kiss. Constantine's forehead touched hers and he closed his eyes and stayed still just like that, as if he was speaking to her without words. She felt so cozy in his arms that she suspected she might fall asleep if she stayed like that a little longer.

"Constantine," she said hazily, trying to remember what she was thinking about before the conversation had turned to sweet nothings.

"Hm?" he replied without moving away or opening his eyes.

"There was something I wanted to ask you. Something very important."

He straightened his back, eyes alert, lips tight. She felt bad for breaking his moment of tranquility.

"I was just wondering… When I'm the, um, Minister of Environmental Affairs, will you allow me to be in charge of your zoo?"

"Why?" he asked, his voice somewhat dry. "Do you want to shut it down and set all the animals free?"

She shook her head with timid sadness. "I'm not a child, Constantine. I know that animals who were born there are hardly capable of surviving in the wild. I want to inspect the zoo and to make sure that all the animals are as happy as they could possibly be there. And if any of them suffer, I must see what I can do to help."

Constantine's brows shot up.

"These are the words of the true queen," he said in wonder, almost in awe. "Yes, you can do that, of course."

And at that moment Starlight felt _Courage_ , _Leadership_ , and _Hope_ mingle in her heart, forming an infinite source of energy, akin to the Heart of the Galaxy. Her choice was right. There was no more doubt about that.

"Thanks," she breathed with a smile. There was nothing she wanted more than to kiss him again, to lock her lips with his and let that energy float through her into his veins.

But just as she was about to lift herself up closer, she noticed that his face now wore a very somber expression.

"There was something I wanted to ask you, too," he said. "Something very important."

"What?" She pulled away and sat up, anticipating something very grave.

"Yes, you'd better listen carefully, I am not going to ask twice," he nodded. And only after he made sure he had her full fearful attention, he said, "The question is: why did you bring the guitar?"

She froze stunned for a moment, then broke into fits of laughter.

When she was finally capable of speaking, she said, "The guitar! I completely forgot about it! Well, I had something. For you." She remembered that she'd left the guitar on the bench, along with the picnic basket. "I'll be right back!"

She climbed to her feet just as Constantine pushed a few buttons on his control panel, and the guitar case appeared out of thin air next to him.

"You don't even need to leave," he said, his eyes half-closed, his expression smug.

"Oh, sweet." She took the guitar out of its case and sat back next to him. "By the way, that was a joke. A genuine joke! If I told somebody, they'd never believe me!"

"If you tell anybody, I'll deny everything. So nobody will believe you indeed," affirmed the king.

"Anyway, I have this song for you," she said, already softly plucking the strings. "It's very short yet. I hope it'll get longer over time."

Constantine watched her and listened intently. The tune was very familiar but the words were different. Her gaze was firmly on him as she sang:

 _We can be anything we dream  
Think it up and make it real  
And light up the whole world  
We're shining so bright  
Anything is possible  
When I look into your eyes  
Oh, oh, oh, we are shooting stars_

* * *

Her fingers ran across the row of strings for one last time and the music dissolved into the air.

"I like it," Constantine said simply. He didn't know how else he could convey his emotions, they were too complicated and intangible. "I do hope you write more."

"We write," she amended, putting the guitar aside and moving closer.

"Well, if you do need my artistic talents," he said making sure she was comfortably lying in his lap again, "I can contribute by pointing out that technically shooting stars are meteors burning up on entering a planet's atmosphere, so there is nothing particularly fascinating about being one."

She laughed, dismissively. "What I do need now is another kiss, if that's not too much to ask for."

"This I can provide," he nodded, leaning closer, then stopping inches from her lips, fazed by the gleam in her eyes. "Just remember we have yet to announce our engagement."

"I assure you, everybody knows by now. I even heard the sprites gossiping about it in the hall."

"What?!" He recoiled in surprise. "How is that possible?"

"Do you want to get angry or do you want to kiss me?" she asked.

It was a difficult dilemma, but upon some consideration, brow-knitting, and eye-rolling Constantine chose the latter, and was rewarded by the warm touch of her lips. He still couldn't believe he now could kiss those lips for as long as he wished. There was no hurry. He gently studied their every curve and nook, feeling her light breath on his skin, and finally looking up into her eyes. Their azure depth tugged at his heart, as if there was another universe within them, one holding miracles beyond his imagination, holding him spellbound. And he knew all the riches of his world couldn't compare to the treasure he held in his arms now.

The feeling left him fearful and he closed his eyes again to turn his attention to her lips instead. She didn't mind. After a long minute he pulled away, preserving his ability to think about anything at all.

"It's getting late," he said. "We have to get back soon."

She was still tracing his sharp cheekbones with her fingers. "Hate to admit it, but you're right."

Constantine hated being right at that moment, but their sweet evening was coming to its end and they had to part.

"Let's go, then."

They reluctantly broke their embrace and got to their feet. Starlight carefully placed her guitar back into the case. Before they started back, Constantine cast one last look at the city.

"By stars, what it that monstrosity on top of the Trading Center?!"

* * *

 **Author's note:**

THE END! And they lived happily ever after, which in their case probably meant lots of misunderstandings and drama, but they always found their way back to each other's hearts. Just like any loving couple should, really. Oh, and maybe Constantine modified Starlight's locket a bit so that new songs could be added to it, and they could add their song and pass the locket on to their children and so on.

The reason this chapter exists isn't just all the hugging and kissing. Starlight needed to know that her choice was right – after all, I had her rush into a marriage with a man she hardly knows, and that only works well in Disney movies! ( _Frozen_ excluded.) So the moment Constantine agrees to let her change things in his kingdom is the moment of truth, showing her that he really respects her and is willing to work together rather than just tell her what to do. And I do believe that Constantine could change for the better, first and foremost because he was never a heartless villain – remember the first gala in the movie, he was enjoying music just as much as Starlight would have (if it was her kind of music), he just surrounded himself with formality and rules (remember the droid reminding him not to get carried away by the music? I still laugh every time I see it! :D)). THIS is the very reason I ship them so much! I wouldn't ship Starlight with an abusive jerk who only changed his mind about her when she proved to have more power over stars than he did.

And if you take a closer look, you'll notice that although the word "love" is present in the story, they never actually say "I love you". This is because in fiction those three words tend to reduce any conflicts in a very silly and unbelievable way. Like, "We're so different, how can we ever be together without eventually killing each other in frustration?" "But I love you!" "Oh, that makes it OK, then." So I tried to covey the I-love-yous by other means.

I hope you enjoyed the journey! It would melt my heart and turn it into pink soap bubbles if you dropped a line in the reviews telling me if you liked it all (or hated it!:))).

So far I don't plan to write anything else with this pairing, even though I do have tons of little plots in my mind, I just don't like to stray away from canon with my stories. [But if you must know, I imagine lots of adventures for these two. Like, Constantine inventing a very enthusiastic A.I. to help him rule Oppa-Irri, something along the lines of Vicky from the _I, Robot_ movie (or Glados from _Portal 2_!), and Starlight with her friends having to sort all the mess it causes. Then, I would definitely wreck Constantine's nerves by letting Starlight travel to some distant planet with no decent means of communication, so that it would leave him believing she was killed there. Then, after she's safely back, I'd add up more drama with his unwillingness to ever let her go away again, and Starlight would offer him to go on a trip with her – just for him to make sure there's absolutely nothing to worry about. And they would end up on some godforsaken planet where they would have to run and fight for their lives ( _Afterearth_ movie, anyone?:D))]

So you see, THAT is why I shouldn't write anything else about them!:D

That said, I'd love to read your Constarlight fics, and if you need a beta reader, a co-writer, or simply a reader to tell you how wonderful you story is, don't hesitate to contact me!

For now I'll just continue drawing fluffy pictures with them, and those can be found in my DeviantArt gallery: katarina-mor.

Thanks again for being here with me, I love you all, and may the magic of the stars always light up your path! :)


End file.
